PHYS 467Introduction to Quantum Information Processing
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Science
- Subject
- Physics
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Basics of computational complexity; basics of quantum information; quantum phenomena; quantum circuits and universality; relationship between quantum and classical complexity classes; simple quantum algorithms; quantum Fourier transform; Shor factoring algorithm; Grover search algorithm; physical realization of quantum computation; error-correction and fault-tolerance; quantum key distribution.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
- Students must be in level 3A or higher
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Reviewed on UW Flow
33% liked it8% easy58% useful
From 9 ratings and 4 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
It says that 1st year linear algebra should be enough to understand this course. It was full of proofs, pure math, and time complexity that I was not warned adequately about. If I wanted to do well in the course, I would have had to spend probably 20-40 hours per week on this course alone. At least what I did understand I would consider it useful, and it highlighted a lot of important parts of the field of quantum information processing.
May 2021 · didn’t like it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Actually a very interesting and useful course content-wise. I think my review would be much different if I had taken it with a different professor.
However, Ashwin Nayak is probably the single worst instructor I have ever had the displeasure of coming across. There really is no valid "pedagogical reason" to refuse to release _any_ course material, especially when class slides are flipped through so quickly that your only options are to either record the entire lecture or suffer the consequences of missing a slide and having its contents show up on your assignments. Those assignments being confusingly written and extremely time-consuming as well, and in no way, shape, or form prepared us…May 2026 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
This was probably the most difficult course I have taken in my undergrad. Not because the concepts were too difficult, but because the prof, Ashwin Nayak, was super unhelpful. The content consisted more of heavy linear algebra type proofs, some basic number theory and constructing algorithms and circuits.
For those willing to go into quantum computing research, this course is quite useful. Take this course if some prof other than Ashwin Nayak is offering it. If by misfortune you do get stuck with him, be prepared to self study the entire thing from day 1. I found Richard Cleve's videos and lecture notes (on his IQC website) on the graduate version of this course to be quite helpful.Feb 2026 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
The course isn't too difficult if you have taken previous quantum mechanics courses and are familiar with some of the concepts. Still, it gets pretty challenging when it comes to things like Shor's algorithm.
I wouldn't say the course is very useful at the time being since quantum computing is still very much an active research field. You should take this course only if you are interested in quantum computing or want to do research in it.Apr 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
31 posts and comments in 26 threads mention PHYS 467, December 2012 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Winter 2024
CO481/CS467/PHYS467 8 points, 0 comments
u/bleachdrinker17: “Could someone who has taken this course before with Michele Mosca share some of their notes? The lecture slides are so bad and the textbook is so hard to read through :(”
Fall 2023
Quantum Computing from Engineering 1 point, 14 comments
“Hello everyone. I still currently attend highschool, and I am conflicted to whether I should go into Computer Eng or Electrical Eng. …”
u/jollymaker: “… If you can you should take PHYS 467 and PHYS 468. As for quantum courses, quantum computing is very different than what you learn in a quantum mechanics. …”
Anyone in PHYS 467 ? 1 point, 0 comments
u/AirPodGoose: “Hello, I just have a few questions about the course.”
I don’t know what to do with my degree 1 point, 14 comments
“I'm in my 2A term as a math student and my initial plans were to get into data science, but due to my average being lower than the cutoff that did not happen. …”
u/Organic_Midnight1999: “Bro a Math degree is underrated. As the world advances the problems we face just get harder and harder. We move towards more high level, abstract, and data driven problems - guess what? …”
u/jadedwolf12: “… and 487 covers more breadth CO 481 - quantum algorithms (crosslisted with CS 467/PHYS 467) This is not an exhaustive list - they're just the ones I took during my undergrad.”
Crosslisted but different prereqs? 1 point, 2 comments
u/exupery2112: “… have changed to require a 80% in MATH 235/245 however the course its cross listed with, PHYS 467, does not have that requirement. …”
u/COCS2022: “Good catch! I don't see how you could be prevented from taking PHYS 467.”
u/batson2002: “that’s so weird cause all the listings for the course (cs467, phys467 and co481) do the same thing, so realistically they should share the same requirements. …”
Winter 2023
easiest science credit for CS student 15 points, 19 comments
“title”
u/snowfoxsean: “PHYS 467 is technically also a CS class so it should be easy”
Fall 2022
CS467 5 points, 4 comments
“How is the course? Anyone taken it recently? Is it challenging for someone who hasnt touched physics above say a phy121 level? …”
u/AHpache182: “CS 467 / CO 481 / PHYS 467 (the same course just cross-listed) is a course on quantum information processing, as the name suggests. I chatted with David Jao (CO advisor) and briefly asked about this course. …”
Spring 2022
4xx math courses 4 points, 10 comments
“Are there any 4xx math courses that only require a 1st or second year course as a prerequisite? For example pmath340 only requires math135, but I was wondering if there are any other math classes …”
u/TheRealArjun: “AMATH 456, 475 (not sure if pmath majors usually take those Calc 4, ODE 1 prereqs), CS 467 / PHYS 467 / CO 481 (same course), CS 436, 487”
Theoretical CS courses 4 points, 4 comments
“Are there any other CS courses similar to CS 365 or CS 467? Basically, CS courses that are more theoretical rather than applied. …”
u/the_garden_waste: “… CS 467 is also cross-listed with PHYS 467 and as a physics student who has taken a lot of quantum courses, I was super confused with this course”
Winter 2022
How Useful of a course is PHYS 467? 5 points, 0 comments
u/Transcript_: “Math Phys major in their “final” year here tryna figure out if to do PHYS 467. For the record, I’m not in coop. …”
Phys467/co467/cs467 4 points, 8 comments
u/Tryingatri: “Anyone else taking this class right now?”
Spring 2021
Does CS467/CO481/PHYS467 satisfy other plan requirements? 2 points, 2 comments
u/eddy314159: “Anyone know if this course can be used to satisfy plan requirements for the other courses it is cross-listed with? For example, if the course I take is CS467, can I also get it to count towards a CO minor?”
u/MathematicalTrash: “Counting a course twice in two different major requirements should be valid. However it seems that PHYS 467 won't be counted as an CS or CO course anymore according to Quest.”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them