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posted by martyb on Saturday October 20 2018, @06:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the quantum-improvement dept.

IBM finally proves that quantum systems are faster than classicals

In 1994, MIT professor of applied mathematics Peter Shor developed a groundbreaking quantum computing algorithm capable of factoring numbers (that is, finding the prime numbers for any integer N) using quantum computer technology. For the next decade, this algorithm provided a tantalizing glimpse at the potential prowess of quantum computing versus classical systems. However, researchers could never prove quantum would always be faster in this application or whether classical systems could overtake quantum if given a sufficiently robust algorithm of its own. That is, until now.

In a paper published Thursday in the journal Science, Dr. Sergey Bravyi and his team reveal that they've developed a mathematical proof which, in specific cases, illustrates the quantum algorithm's inherent computational advantages over classical.

[...] What's more, the proof shows that, in these cases, the quantum algorithm can solve the problem in a fixed number of steps, regardless of how many inputs are added. With a classical computer, the more inputs you add, the more steps it needs to take in order to solve. Such are the advantages of parallel processing.

There's now proof that quantum computers can outperform classical machines

In this paper, the researchers prove that a quantum computer with a fixed circuit depth is able to outperform a classical computer that's tackling the same problem because the classical computer will require the circuit depth to grow larger, while it can stay constant for the quantum computer.


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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by fyngyrz on Sunday October 21 2018, @12:25AM

    by fyngyrz (6567) on Sunday October 21 2018, @12:25AM (#751525) Journal

    Robert is your mother's or father's brother or the spouse of a parental sibling.

    Okay, I'm just going to cry uncle on that one.

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