Quantum computers: Registers, gates and algorithms

Quantum computing is a process that incorporates interacting physical systems that represent quantum bits and quantum gates. We present the quantum bit (qubit), the quantum register and the quantum gates. The qubit is described as a vector in a two-dimensional Hilbert space and the quantum register, which comprises a number of qubits, as a vector in a multidimensional Hilbert space. Quantum gates are Hilbert space operators that rotate the qubit or the quantum register vectors. Quantum computations are modeled and described using a quantum circuit model. We also present a quantum computer simulator based on the circuit model of quantum computation. In this model quantum computations and quantum algorithms are represented by circuits, which comprise quantum gates and quantum registers. The well-known Deutsch´s algorithm is described and the corresponding quantum circuit is presented. Possible applications of quantum computers are be presented and discussed.