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Masters in computer science (A.I) or masters in theoretical physics for career in quantum computation and a.i?

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I'm currently in my final year of BSc(Hons) in mathematics and computer science & A.I (applied math stream). Indeed, I'm starting to think about what masters I want to pursue and the kind of subject I would like to specialize in. I am really interested in quantum computation and the prospects of quantum artificial intelligence, but I am unsure how I can go about this. The imperial college London would be my top choice if I had to undertake a masters in artificial intelligence but it has only one unit called quantum computation in its syllabus so it may not be sufficient background for me to build or pursue a further career in this field, especially if I want to continue to a phd. Then again I am not sure, maybe I'll be allowed to consider quantum computation for my dissertation and it will not matter anyway. I was also considering taking a masters in theoretical physics (if I am allowed of course) and this will give me a good foundation for quantum computation, but this scares me since it seems like a massive jump from mathematics and computer science. In the end I really want to conduct research on quantum computation and artificial intelligence so this is a very confusing situation for me. Any insight that can be shared on this matter? Which choice should I consider more for this path?

asked Oct 9, 2014 in Theoretical Physics by james [ no revision ]

Not sure if this question is appropriate for PO (don't be surprised if it gets removed) but my advice would be Master's in Quantum Computation or something that will teach you some basics of QM and Quantum Computing. I think Leeds has a decent program. If you have not done undergrad QM, Classical Field Theory, Classical Mech and other similar courses you will struggle big time in a Master's in Theoretical Physics.

commented Oct 9, 2014 by conformal_gk (3,625 points) [ no revision ]

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1 Answer

I'd recommend to take master and PhD in Computer Science or a specialized subfield if this is possible.

One needs fairly little physics for understanding quantum computations (just rudiments of quantum mechanics in finite Hilbert spaces), but you can't know enough of certain areas in Computer science to be competent in artificial intelligence.

On the other hand, doing a master in physics without the knowledge of a MSc in Physics is very hard.

answered Oct 10, 2014 by Arnold Neumaier (15,787 points) [ no revision ]

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