31–40 of 237 posts
Even if quantum computers turn out not to be able to solve interesting problems, I wonder if computers are the only thing we can make out of it.
Dumb question: Say I have a wooden stick and I break it in half in less than a second. Assume a computer would need several minutes to simulate everything that would've happened in the stick. I clearly got the output faster than a computer (and with more precision), so does this imply I'm doing anything particularly fascinating? I assume the same scenario is possible to concoct for a quantum computer. I assume it wou…
What if you broke the stick to study its material properties? Then you would need to spend months carefully taking samples and measuring all the broken spots.
With a perfect simulation? You're done the moment it ends. All the data is there available with a copy paste
Dumb question: Say I have a wooden stick and I break it in half in less than a second. Assume a computer would need several minutes to simulate everything that would've happened in the stick. I clearly got the output faster than a computer (and with more precision), so does this imply I'm doing anything particularly fascinating? I assume the same scenario is possible to concoct for a quantum computer. I assume it wou…
Dumb question: Say I have a wooden stick and I break it in half in less than a second. Assume a computer would need several minutes to simulate everything that would've happened in the stick. I clearly got the output faster than a computer (and with more precision), so does this imply I'm doing anything particularly fascinating? I assume the same scenario is possible to concoct for a quantum computer. I assume it wou…
> To appreciate the feasibility of computing with no energy and no heat, consider the computation that takes place in an ordinary rock. Although it may appear that nothing much is going on inside a rock, the approximately 1025 (ten trillion trillion) atoms in a kilogram of matter are actually extremely active. Despite the apparent solidity of the object, the atoms are all in motion, sharing electrons back and forth, changing particle spins, and generating rapidly moving electromagnetic fields. All of this activity represents computation, even if not very meaningfully organized. (From The Singularity is Near Chapter 3, The Limits of Computation)
Dumb question: Say I have a wooden stick and I break it in half in less than a second. Assume a computer would need several minutes to simulate everything that would've happened in the stick. I clearly got the output faster than a computer (and with more precision), so does this imply I'm doing anything particularly fascinating? I assume the same scenario is possible to concoct for a quantum computer. I assume it wou…
Not a dumb question! There is a great video by the mathematician Richard Borcherds on this exact objection to current examples of quantum supremacy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFhhQRxWTIM
Dumb question: Say I have a wooden stick and I break it in half in less than a second. Assume a computer would need several minutes to simulate everything that would've happened in the stick. I clearly got the output faster than a computer (and with more precision), so does this imply I'm doing anything particularly fascinating? I assume the same scenario is possible to concoct for a quantum computer. I assume it wou…
Regardless of how good our classical or quantum computers get, simulating “complex” natural systems is ultimately limited by our ability to observe and measure the physical properties of the “components” (I put quotes here to acknowledge the difficulty/impossibility of delineating system components) of that system. I’m not sure quantum computers will help with that.
> He said: “This is a very nice demonstration of quantum advantage. While a great achievement academically, the algorithm used does not really have real world practical applications, though. > “We really must get to utility quantum computing – an era where quantum computers with many thousand qubits actually begin to deliver value to society in a way that classical computers never will be able to.” This seems to be t…
I don't think it's that the concepts are contrived (although the test cases certainly are), it's just that our quantum computers are really early in their development and can't do the more complicated things yet. It's like if we had calculators that took an hour to do each arithmetic operation- the fact that people wouldn't use it doesn't mean arithmetic is contrived, just that it isn't as powerful as better alternat…
Someone someday might figure out how to make the calculator actually calculate, but not yet.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
My understanding is that quantum computers only have two real use cases, as of today: 1. Breaking crypto. 2. Simulating other quantum systems. For (1) it's basically all downsides. For (2) unless you're a particle phycisist you'll never need quantum computers. But that's now. Maybe there will be a killer app for it some day, changing everything. Or indeed, we could get it indirectly. Maybe simulating quantum systems…
If it is able to break crypto then surely that means it can do other "interesting" mathematical calculations that are currently extremely slow/hard though?
The problems QCs could solve regarding crypto are from number theory. That's basically a branch of math that doesn't really describe any real-world stuff. Cryptography is as far as I know the only practical application of that stuff.
I couldn't think of any implication of "being able to factor large numbers quickly" or "calculating discrete logarithms quickly" that does not relate to cryptography. But I'd be curious if others think these would have any implications beyond "we'll have to get new algorithms into our cryptography".
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regardless of how good our classical or quantum computers get, simulating “complex” natural systems is ultimately limited by our ability to observe and measure the physical properties of the “components” (I put quotes here to acknowledge the difficulty/impossibility of delineating system components) of that system. I’m not sure quantum computers will help with that.
You're missing the point of the question.