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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion lec_19_quantum.md
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Expand Up @@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ Specifically, consider an event that can either occur or not (e.g. "detector num
In classical probability, we model this by a probability distribution over the two outcomes: a pair of non-negative numbers $p$ and $q$ such that $p+q=1$, where $p$ corresponds to the probability that the event occurs and $q$ corresponds to the probability that the event does not occur.
In quantum mechanics, we model this also by pair of numbers, which we call _amplitudes_. This is a pair of (potentially negative or even complex) numbers $\alpha$ and $\beta$ such that $|\alpha|^2 + |\beta|^2 =1$.
The probability that the event occurs is $|\alpha|^2$ and the probability that it does not occur is $|\beta|^2$.
In isolation, these negative or complex numbers don't matter much, since we anyway square them to obtain probabilities.
In isolation, these negative or complex numbers don't matter much, since we square them anyway to obtain probabilities.
But the interaction of positive and negative amplitudes can result in surprising _cancellations_ where somehow combining two scenarios where an event happens with positive probability results in a scenario where it never does.

::: { .pause }
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