Quantum Error Correction and Fault Tolerance

The complete “Chapter 14: Quantum Error Correction and Fault Tolerance” from the book A Practical Guide to Quantum Computing by Elías F. Combarro and Samuel González-Castillo (Packt, 2025)

To preserve the original layout, equations, and figures, we’re providing this chapter as a PDF which you can download below.

The complete “Chapter 14: Quantum Error Correction and Fault Tolerance” from the book A Practical Guide to Quantum Computing by Elías F. Combarro and Samuel González-Castillo (Packt, 2025)

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Chapter 14, Quantum Error Correction and Fault Tolerance, introduces quantum error correction, which could pave the road towards fault-tolerant computation and thus may be a cornerstone in the development of useful quantum computers. This chapter begins with a discussion on the necessity for quantum error correction, which is followed by the introduction and implementation of a simple quantum error-correcting code. The chapter finishes with some remarks on fault-tolerant computing and how quantum error correction can help enable it.

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If you liked this chapter, check out A Practical Guide to Quantum Computing: Hands-on approach to quantum computing with Qiskit by Elías F. Combarro and Samuel González-Castillo (Packt, July 2025). It’s a self-contained introduction that starts from a single qubit and builds to foundational algorithms—Deutsch, Bernstein–Vazirani, Grover, Shor—with runnable code in Qiskit 2.1 on simulators and real hardware. Along the way, it covers applications like quantum money and BB84, and introduces fault tolerance and the road to quantum advantage.

You’ll learn to: understand what makes a quantum computer unique; represent and measure multi-qubit states; use superposition, entanglement, and interference; implement and run quantum algorithms in Qiskit; explain how Grover’s search and Shor’s factoring work; and get familiar with quantum fault tolerance and emerging notions of quantum advantage. Ideal for university-level STEM courses and for professionals or self-learners who want a practical, code-first path into quantum computing.

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