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Quantum Computer Runs Simon's Algorithm

posted by LaminatorX on Wednesday November 19 2014, @03:58PM   
from the super-position dept.

tonyPick writes:

phys.org is reporting that a team of South African Researchers have successfully run Simon's algorithm on a quantum computer.

Simon's algorithm, named after Daniel Simon, is a solution to Simon's Problem that is:

...designed specifically to run faster on a quantum computer than it would, on a standard computer. Its purpose is to figure out whether a black box returns a unique output for every possible input. The team ran the simplest version of the algorithm on a quantum computer that used just six qubits, and report that it took just two iterations to solve the problem, where it would take a normal computer three.

If verified it's the first unambiguous case where an algorithm designed specifically for a quantum computer has been able to demonstrate an exponential gap to the equivalent classical computer algorithm run time.

The paper detailing this experiment is available at arXiv.

• Too expensive? Too expensive? (Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Wednesday November 19 2014, @04:12PM

  by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday November 19 2014, @04:12PM (#117733)

  "Darling, I told you we all needed this quantum computer. Look, it's proven exponentially faster at running Simon. The kids are going to love playing with it, if they can pry it from me."

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• Re:Too expensive? (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 19 2014, @06:11PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 19 2014, @06:11PM (#117770)

  My sister had a Simon [wikipedia.org] back in the 70's. Who knew it was a quantum computer?

  Parent