  The spin network simulator model represents a bridge between (generalized)
circuit schemes for standard quantum computation and approaches based on
notions from Topological Quantum Field Theories (TQFT). More precisely, when
working with purely discrete unitary gates, the simulator is naturally modelled
as families of quantum automata which in turn represent discrete versions of
topological quantum computation models. Such a quantum combinatorial scheme,
which essentially encodes SU(2) Racah--Wigner algebra and its braided
counterpart, is particularly suitable to address problems in topology and group
theory and we discuss here a finite states--quantum automaton able to accept
the language of braid group in view of applications to the problem of
estimating link polynomials in Chern--Simons field theory.
