Quantum Computer Condition: Stability, Classical Computation and Norms

The Quantum Computer Condition (QCC) provides a rigorous and completely general framework for carrying out analyses of questions pertaining to fault-tolerance in quantum computers. In this paper we apply the QCC to the problem of fluctuations and systematic errors in the values of characteristic parameters in realistic systems. We show that fault-tolerant quantum computation is possible despite variations in these parameters. We also use the QCC to explicitly show that reliable classical computation can be carried out using as input the results of fault-tolerant, but imperfect, quantum computation. Finally, we consider the advantages and disadvantages of the superoperator and diamond norms in connection with application of the QCC to various quantum information-theoretic problems.