Upcoming
Amica Conference: Thermodynamic Approaches to Artificial Intelligence. March 9-11, 2026, Karuizawa, Japan.
News
Tech. Note: Gates, States, and Circuits
Notes on the circuit model of quantum computing. Currently mostly an exposition on the menagerie of quantum gates.
Article: Thermodynamic natural gradient descent
We show that natural gradient descent can have a similar computational complexity per iteration to a first-order method, when employing appropriate hardware.
Preprint: Solving the compute crisis with physics-based ASICs
Physics-based Application-Specific Integrated Circuits present a transformative paradigm by directly harnessing intrinsic physical dynamics for computation.
Press: Thermodynamic Computing Becomes Cool
Communications of the ACM article on thermodynamic computing and Normal Computing.
Press: Could Thermodynamic Computing Revolutionize AI and Scientific Research?
IEEE Spectrum article on thermodynamic computing and Normal Computing.
Article: Thermodynamic computing system for AI applications
We present the first continuous-variable thermodynamic computer, which we call the stochastic processing unit (SPU).
Preprint: Scalable Thermodynamic Second-order Optimization
We propose a scalable algorithm for employing thermodynamic computers to accelerate a popular second-order optimizer called K-FAC.
Thermodynamic matrix exponentials and thermodynamic parallelism
Here, we provide a thermodynamic algorithm for exponentiating a real matrix. We describe a simple electrical circuit involving coupled oscillators, which can...
WebLogo 3.9 Released
WebLogo 3.9 released with support for python 3.13.
Press: How to fix computing’s AI energy problem: run everything backwards
Artificial intelligence wastes an extraordinary amount of energy - but running every computer calculation twice, first forwards and then backwards, could dra...
Article: Thermodynamic Linear Algebra
We consider an alternative physics-based computing paradigm based on classical thermodynamics, to provide a near-term approach to accelerating linear algebra.
Article: Thermodynamic Bayesian Inference
We propose electronic analog devices that sample from Bayesian posteriors by realizing Langevin dynamics physically.
Review: Field Guide to Continuous Probability Distributions
Here’s a good review and summary of my book Field Guide to Continuous Probability Distributions : by Eric Regis
Press: How Normal Computing Solves Linear Algebra Problems With Thermodynamics
Interview on the Future of Computing blog about thermodynamic linear algebra.
U. Chicago, Computations in Science Seminar
Talk at U. Chicago Computations in Science Seminar, 2024-03-20.
Talk: U. Maryland Physics Colloquium: Thermodynamic Linear Algebra
We consider an alternative physics-based computing paradigm based on classical thermodynamics, to provide a near-term approach to accelerating linear algebra.
Preprint: Error Mitigation for Thermodynamic Computing
We introduce a method that reduces the overall error from a linear to a quadratic dependence on the imprecision, for Gaussian sampling and linear algebra app...
Press: ChatGPT’s Hunger for Energy Could Trigger a GPU Revolution
Wired article on alternative computing approaches, including Normal Computing’s thermodynamic computing.
Talk: Rutgers University 125th Statistical Mathematics Conference: Thermodynamic Linear Algebra
We consider an alternative physics-based computing paradigm based on classical thermodynamics, to provide a near-term approach to accelerating linear algebra.
Presentation: NeurIPS 2023 (New Orleans) Physics Colloquium: Thermodynamic AI and Thermodynamic Linear Algebra
We consider an alternative physics-based computing paradigm based on classical thermodynamics, to provide a near-term approach to accelerating linear algebra.
Talk: Berkeley Physics Colloquium: Thermodynamic Linear Algebra
We consider an alternative physics-based computing paradigm based on classical thermodynamics, to provide a near-term approach to accelerating linear algebra.
Talk: Berkeley Stat. Mech. Seminar: Thermodynamic Linear Algebra
We consider an alternative physics-based computing paradigm based on classical thermodynamics, to provide a near-term approach to accelerating linear algebra.
Teaching: Introduction to Stochastic Thermodynamics, UC Berkeley
Spring 2023, Chem 220b @ UC Berkeley. A one-time-only course on stochastic thermodynamics.
Article: Protein–ligand binding free-energy calculations with ARROW – A purely first-principles parameterized polarizable force field
Protein−ligand binding free-energy calculations using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have emerged as a powerful tool for in silico drug design. Here, we...
Jarzynski equality at 25
Chase Broedersz and Pierre Ronceray wrote a great retrospective on the Jarzynski equality for Nature Reviews Physics, celebrating the 25th anniversary. But ...
Tech. Note 009 v0.8: On Measures of Information and Entropy 009 v0.8
A brief overview of information measures on classical, discrete probability distributions. Tech. Note 009 v0.8 [ Full Text ]
QuantumFlow v1.2.0: Transpiler and Shannon Decomposition
QuantumFlow v1.2.0: Added transpile() function to convert circuits between different quantum libraries, quantum Shannon decomposition, and QuTip interface. ...
Tech. Note: On the Weyl chamber of canonical non-local 2-qubit gates
The Weyl chamber of canonical non-local 2-qubit gates. Papercraft meets quantum computing. Print, cut, fold, and paste.
Interview: Living Histories
An interview for The Living Histories Series.
Talk: The Length of Time’s Arrow — Harvard SPS Chilloquium
The Length of Time’s Arrow, Harvard Society of Physics Students Chilloquium.
QuantumFlow v1.1.0: qsim interface
QuantumFlow v1.1.0: Added qsim interface for fast quantum circuit simulation.
Article: Measuring Analytic Gradients of General Quantum Evolution with the Stochastic Parameter Shift Rule
The Parameter Shift Rule is a cunning, recently developed method for evaluation gradients of quantum circuits on a quantum computer. But it has two problems…
qf-diamond-norm v1.0.0: QuantumFlow Diamond Norm
Gavin E. Crooks (2020)
Tech. Note: Gates, States, and Circuits
Notes on the circuit model of quantum computing. Currently mostly an exposition on the menagerie of quantum gates.
QuantumFlow v1.0.0:
QuantumFlow: A Quantum Algorithms Development Toolkit and Cross Compiler
gecrooks-python-template: Minimal viable setup for an open source, github hosted, python package
Source
Article: Two-Qubit Circuit Depth and the Monodromy Polytope
For a native gate set which includes all single-qubit gates, we apply results from symplectic geometry to analyze the spaces of two-qubit programs accessible...
Journal of Lost Papers: On the divergence between two distributions and the probability of misclassification of several decision rules
The (virtual) Journal of Lost Papers: Article 001
Tech. Note: On the Weyl chamber of canonical non-local 2-qubit gates
The Weyl chamber of canonical non-local 2-qubit gates. Papercraft meets quantum computing. Print, cut, fold, and paste.
The Crooks Fluctuation Theorem on Man Like Mobeen
The Crooks Fluctuation Theorem gets a shout-out on BBC’s Man Like Mobeen.
Preprint: Thermodynamic Computing
A workshop report proposing a united, physically grounded, computational paradigm centered on thermodynamics.
News: APS Fellow
Honored to have been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society, “for the discovery of the Crooks Fluctuation Theorem linking nanoscale fluctuations f...
WebLogo 3.7.4 Released
Major server upgrade. The old server was getting very old and crufty. WebLogo moved to a shiny new AWS instance, with up to date installations of linux, apac...
QuantumFlow v0.9: Gradients and the Parameter Shift Rule
QuantumFlow v0.9.0: Adds evaluation of gradients of parameterized quantum circuits using the middle out algorithm, and creation of circuits for evaluation o...
Preprint: Gradients of parameterized quantum gates using the parameter-shift rule and gate decomposition
The parameter-shift rule is an approach to measuring gradients of quantum circuits with respect to their parameters, which does not require ancilla qubits or...
Book: Field Guide to Continuous Probability Distributions, 1st Edition
Survey of over 170 continuous univariate probability distributions (and at least as many synonyms) organized into 20 families. First dead tree edition.
Article: Marginal and Conditional Second Laws of Thermodynamics
Gavin E. Crooks and Susanne Still, EPL 125:40005 (2019).
WebLogo 3.7 Released
3.7 (2019-03-04) [Gavin Crooks] Refactor and cleanup code, removing python 2.7 support Extend API documentation WebLogo python package is now ‘webl...
Podcast: Catalyzing Computing — What is Thermodynamic Computing?
Episode 3 of the CCC Catalyzing Computing podcast, featuring a discussion on thermodynamic computing.
The favorite physics equation in Shibuya is ゆらぎの定理, the fluctuation theorem!?
The favorite physics equation in Shibuya is ゆらぎの定理, the fluctuation theorem! pic.twitter.com— Gavin Crooks (@gavincrooks) December 28, 2018
Preprint: Performance of the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm on the Maximum Cut Problem
Gavin E. Crooks, arXiv: 1811.08419 (2018) [ PDF | Code]
QuantumFlow: A Quantum Algorithms Development Toolkit v0.7
Announcing QuantumFlow, a python package that emulates a gate based quantum computer using modern optimized tensor libraries (numpy, TensorFlow, or torch). ...
Tech. Note 009 v0.7: On Measures of Information and Entropy 009 v0.7
A brief overview of information measures on classical, discrete probability distributions. Tech. Note 009 v0.7 [ Full Text ]
Preprint: Quantum Kitchen Sinks: An algorithm for machine learning on near-term quantum computers
C. M. Wilson, J. S. Otterbach, N. Tezak, Robert S. Smith, Gavin E. Crooks, and Marcus P. da Silva, arXiv:1806.08321 (2018)
Article: Quantifying configuration-sampling error in Langevin simulations of complex molecular systems
Josh Fass, David A. Sivak, Gavin E. Crooks, Kyle A. Beauchamp, Benedict Leimkuhler, and John D. Chodera Entropy, 20(5):318 (2018).
Talk: The Dynamics of Disorder — Kavli Frontiers of Science
The Dynamics of Disorder: From Clausius to Jarzynski. Kavli Frontiers of Science.
Press: How Computers Push on the Molecules They Simulate
Berkeley Lab press release on our PRX paper on Langevin integrators and shadow work.
Article: Self-Organization of the Escherichia coli Chemotaxis Network Imaged with Super-Resolution Light Microscopy
Derek Greenfield, Ann L. McEvoy, Hari Shroff, Gavin E. Crooks, Ned S. Wingreen, Eric Betzig, Jan Liphardt, PLoS Biol. 7:e1000137 (2009)
Article: Far-from-equilibrium measurements of thermodynamic length
E. H. Feng, G. E. Crooks, Phys. Rev. E 79, 012104 (2009)
FQXi Essay: Whither Time’s Arrow?
Entry in the FQXi 2008 Essay Contest on The Nature of Time: Whither Time’s Arrow?
Article: On the Jarzynski relation for dissipative quantum dynamics
G. E. Crooks, J. Stat. Mech.: Theor. Exp. P10023 (2008)
WebLogo 3.0.0
WebLogo Release 3.0.0
Press: Physicists investigate how time moves forward
Physicists investigate how time moves forward, PhysOrg.com
Article: The Length of Time’s Arrow
E. H. Feng, G. E. Crooks, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 090602 (2008)
Article: Bayesian estimates of free energies from nonequilibrium work data in the presence of instrument noise
Paul Maragakis, Felix Ritort, Carlos Bustamante, Martin Karplus, Gavin E. Crooks, J. Chem. Phys. 129, 024102 (2008)
Lectures: Non-Equilibrium Fluctuation Theorems, from Jarzynski’s identity and beyond
April 24, 29 and May 1, 433 Latimer, 2-3:30 PM
Tech. Note 004: Inequalities between the Jensen-Shannon and Jeffreys divergences
Jeffreys’ J-divergence and the Jensen-Shannon divergence are shown to be related by an inequality that involves a transcendental function of the Jeffreys div...
Article: Quantum operation time reversal
G. E. Crooks, Phys. Rev. A 77, 034101 (2008)
Tech. Note 003v2: The Amoroso Distribution
The Amoroso distribution is the natural unification of the generalized gamma and generalized extreme value families of distributions. At least 40 distinct, n...
Office Translocation
New office address: 260K Stanley Hall
Article: Measuring thermodynamic length
G. E. Crooks, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 100602 (2007)
Tech. Note 003: The Amoroso Distribution
The Amoroso distribution is a continuous, univariate, unimodal probability distribution with a semi-infinite range. A surprisingly large menagerie of interes...
Article: Beyond Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics: Maximum entropy hyperensembles out-of-equilibrium
G. E. Crooks, Phys. Rev. E 75, 041119 (2007)
Article: Work distribution for the adiabatic compression of a dilute and interacting classical gas
G. E. Crooks, C. Jarzynski, Phys. Rev. E 75, 021116 (2007)
Press: WebLogo - Data visualization for everyone
WebLogo: Data visualization for everyone, The Scientist, Volume 20, Issue 5, Page 67 (2006)
Article: A high level interface to SCOP and ASTRAL implemented in Python
J. A. Casbon, G. E. Crooks, M. A. S. Saqi, BMC Bioinformatics 7:10 (2006)
Article: Statistical Evaluation of Pairwise Protein Sequence Comparison with the Bayesian Bootstrap
G. A. Price, G. E. Crooks, R. E. Brenner, S. E. Brenner, Bioinformatics 21:3824-3831 (2005). Erratum: Bioinformatics 21:4138 (2005)
Article: Pairwise alignment incorporating dipeptide covariation
G. E. Crooks, R. E. Brenner, S. E. Brenner, Bioinformatics 21:3704-3710 (2005)
WebLogo 2.8.2
WebLogo Release 2.8.2
Article: Verification of the Crooks fluctuation theorem and recovery of RNA folding free energies
D. Collin, F. Ritort, C. Jarzynski, S. B. Smith, I. Tinoco Jr., and C. Bustamante, Nature 437, 231-234 (2005)
Article: An Alternative Model of Amino Acid Replacement
G. E. Crooks, S. E. Brenner, Bioinformatics 21:975-980 (2005)
Article: A Generalized Affine Gap Model Significantly Improves Protein Sequence Alignment Accuracy
Marcus A. Zachariah, Gavin E. Crooks, Stephen R. Holbrook, and Steven E. Brenner, Proteins 58(2):329-338 (2005)
Article: Measurements of protein sequence-structure correlations
Gavin E. Crooks, Jason Wolfe, Steven E. Brenner, Proteins 57(4):804-810 (2004)
Article: Experimental test of Hatano and Sasa’s nonequilibrium steady-state equality
E. H. Trepagnier, C. Jarzynski, F. Ritort, G. E. Crooks, C. J. Bustamante, and J. Liphardt, PNAS 101: 15038-15041 (2004)
WebLogo 2.8.0
WebLogo Release 2.8.0
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