The Physics of Information Technology (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780521210225)

The Physics of Information Technology explores the familiar devices that we use to collect, transform, transmit, and interact with electronic information. Many such devices operate surprisingly close to very many fundamental physical limits. Understanding how such devices work, and how they can (and cannot) be improved, requires deep insight into the character of physical law as well as engineering practice. The book starts with an introduction to units, forces, and the probabilistic foundations of noise and signaling, then progresses through the electromagnetics of wired and wireless communications, and the quantum mechanics of electronic, optical, and magnetic materials, to discussions of mechanisms for computation, storage, sensing, and display. This self-contained volume will help both physical scientists and computer scientists see beyond the conventional division between hardware and software to understand the implications of physical theory for information manipulation.

Author: Neil Gershenfeld
ISBN-10: 0521210224
ISBN-13: 9780521210225
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 06/23/2011
Pages: 388
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.36lbs
Size: 9.61h x 6.69w x 0.80d