Michael Nielsen
Michael Nielsen
Michael Aaron Nielsen, born January 4, 1974, is an Australian-American quantum physicist, science writer, and computer programming researcher. He is widely recognized for his contributions to the field of quantum computation and is considered an advocate for open science and networked science.
Quantum Computation and Quantum Information
Nielsen co-authored the seminal textbook "Quantum Computation and Quantum Information" with Isaac Chuang. This work is regarded as one of the definitive texts in the field of quantum information science. It covers the theory of quantum computation, including topics such as quantum algorithms, quantum error correction, and quantum cryptography.
Reinventing Discovery
In 2011, Nielsen published "Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science". This book explores the transformative impact of the internet on scientific research and collaboration. It argues for the integration of networked technologies in scientific research to enhance efficiency and collaboration among scientists globally.
Neural Networks and Deep Learning
Nielsen is also the author of "Neural Networks and Deep Learning," a book published in 2015 that provides an accessible introduction to artificial neural networks and deep learning. This work has been instrumental in educating a new generation of researchers and practitioners in the rapidly evolving field of machine learning.
Contributions and Influence
Nielsen's work extends beyond his written contributions. He was a research fellow at Y Combinator-backed YC Research, where he explored and promoted open science. His influence is seen in the way he champions open access to scientific information and the use of collaborative platforms like GitHub to share scientific code and data.
Other Interests
In addition to his scientific work, Nielsen has been involved in music composition. He collaborated with Kaveh Cohen as part of the music house Groove Worx to compose the score for the video game "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction".