Ising Machines: The Roots of Analog Computing

De: Ajit Singh

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

"Ising Machines: The Roots of Analog Computing" is a comprehensive textbook designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students in Computer Science and Engineering. It serves as an accessible yet rigorous introduction to the fascinating world of physics-based analog computation, a field poised to redefine the boundaries of high-performance computing.


Philosophy

The core philosophy of this book is to bridge the gap between classical digital computing and the emerging paradigm of specialized, analog hardware accelerators. For decades, computation has been synonymous with digital logic gates. This book challenges that singular narrative by reintroducing the concept of computation as a physical process. It uses the Ising model—a simple model of magnetism—as a unifying thread to explain how the natural tendency of physical systems to seek low-energy states can be harnessed to solve some of the most complex combinatorial optimization problems known to humanity. My approach is rooted in building intuition, favoring conceptual understanding and practical application over abstract formalism.


Key Features

1. Globally Relevant: The curriculum is designed to be compatible with computer science and engineering syllabi at universities worldwide.
2. Beginner to Advanced: The book caters to both novices with no prior knowledge of statistical physics and advanced learners seeking to understand the architecture of modern annealing hardware.
3. Comprehensive Coverage: It covers the entire ecosystem of Ising machines, from the fundamental physics to analog and digital hardware implementations, software frameworks, and cutting-edge applications.
4. Capstone Project: A unique, fully explained DIY project in the final chapter allows students to apply their knowledge and build a tangible, working program to solve optimization problems.


To Whom This Book is Addressed

1. B.Tech/M.Tech students in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Electronics Engineering.
2. Researchers and Academics looking for a consolidated text on non-von Neumann computing architectures.
3. Industry Professionals and Engineers working in AI, optimization, and hardware design who want to understand the next wave of computational hardware.
4. Hobbyists and Enthusiasts with a programming background who are curious about the intersection of physics and computation.