Glossary
Observable
by Frank Zickert
In quantum computing, an **observable** is a physical quantity (like energy, spin, or position) that can be **measured** from a quantum state. Mathematically, it’s represented by a **Hermitian operator**, whose eigenvalues correspond to the possible measurement outcomes. When you measure an observable, the quantum state **collapses** into one of its eigenstates, yielding one of those eigenvalues as the result.