Quantum Without the Physics book release by USC Viterbi professor

Giacomo Nannicini, associate professor at the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has released a book on quantum optimization. The book is titled Quantum Algorithms for Optimizers and came out in December 2025. It is written for engineers and applied mathematicians without requiring any background in quantum physics. Nannicini discussed the book in an interview with USC Viterbi writer Marc Ballon. He said the text is accessible to students and researchers with a background in optimization or applied mathematics. Knowledge of quantum mechanics is not needed to read the book. The book relies on linear algebra and computational complexity to explain quantum algorithms. Nannicini noted that this approach addresses the high barrier of entry to the field. He hopes the book will help train a new generation of scientists. Nannicini said the work highlights connections between optimization and quantum algorithms. The presentation is tailored to readers with backgrounds in applied mathematics. He is writing exercises for the book that will appear as an online companion.