Resource theory provides a framework to quantitatively understand the amount of resource in a system and how it changes based on the operations performed on it. Standard resource theories in quantum information theory and thermodynamics typically assume unbounded computational capabilities for retrieving those resources. While this holds in theory, practical quantum devices are limited to efficient (poly-time) computation, which may significantly restrict the resources that can be obtained. In this talk, we focus on the thermodynamic resource called ergotropy (erg), the maximum amount of work that can be extracted from a system. We introduce the notion of computational ergotropy and show how imposing these computational constraints would restrict the amount of work that can be extracted significantly (exponential separation). Inspired by the concept of pseudo-entanglement, we introduce the notion of pseudo-ergotropy, where states that look like they yield maximal work to a computationally bounded observer are, in fact, easier to prepare. This work highlights that computational complexity is a critical resource that influences the operational capabilities of physical systems.
