from the you're-the-power-that-I-need-to-make-it-all-succeed dept.
Quantum computer succeeds where a classical algorithm fails:
[...] Google's quantum computing group [...] used a quantum computer as part of a system that can help us understand quantum systems in general, rather than the quantum computer. And they show that, even on today's error-prone hardware, the system can outperform classical computers on the same problem.
To understand what the new work involves, it helps to step back and think about how we typically understand quantum systems. Since the behavior of these systems is probabilistic, we typically need to measure them repeatedly. The results of these measurements are then imported into a classical computer, which processes them to generate a statistical understanding of the system's behavior. With a quantum computer, by contrast, it can be possible to mirror a quantum state using the qubits themselves, reproduce it as often as needed, and manipulate it as necessary. This method has the potential to provide a route to a more direct understanding of the quantum system at issue.
[...] The first of these ideas describes some property of a quantum system involving an arbitrary number of items—like a quantum computer with n qubits. This is exactly the circumstance described above, where repeated measurements need to be made before a classical computer can reliably identify a property. By contrast, a quantum computer can store a copy of the system in its memory, allowing it to be repeatedly duplicated and processed.
These problems, the authors show, can be solved on a quantum computer in what's called polynomial time, where the number of qubits is raised to a constant power (denoted nk). Using classical hardware, by contrast, the time scales as a constant raised to the power related to the number of qubits. As the number of qubits increases, the time needed for classical hardware rises much faster.
[...] The second task they identify is a quantum principal component analysis, where computers are used to identify the property that has the largest influence on the quantum system's behavior. This was chosen in part because this analysis is thought to be relatively insensitive to the noise introduced by errors in today's quantum processors. Mathematically, the team shows that the number of times you'd need to repeat the measurements for analysis on a classical system grows exponentially with the number of qubits. Using a quantum system, the analysis can be done with a constant number of repeats.
Journal Reference:
Hsin-Yuan Huang et al., Quantum advantage in learning from experiments, Science, 376, 6598, 2022. DOI: 10.1126/science.abn7293
(Score: 3, Touché) by stretch611 on Sunday June 12 2022, @06:04PM (4 children)
Well, after reading the summary, Now I know how a marketing person feels like after reading a tech manual.
Plenty of buzzwords... but no clue WTF is being said.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 12 2022, @08:42PM
Quantum computers have succeeded in extracting billions of dollars of sweet-ass VC and federal dollars where classical methods failed to.
(Score: 3, Touché) by driverless on Sunday June 12 2022, @08:48PM (2 children)
It's this week's quantum supremacy puff piece. Actually there's been another one this week... no wait, today is Sunday, so it is this week's quantum supremacy puff piece.
There's been one of these roughly every week for at least two years now, with no end in sight. Expect many more, all dutifully reported here or on that other site.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 12 2022, @08:57PM
Wake me up when they figure out if the cat's dead or alive.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 13 2022, @05:25AM
It's not just a puff piece, it's a wokeist puff piece. You can tell because they said "quantum advantage," which is a woke ideological term.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 12 2022, @06:41PM
Monte-Carlo cocktails for everyone!
(Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday June 12 2022, @08:53PM (3 children)
The fastest way to compute how much cutting force is needed to cut a string under tension is to use a string under tension, scissors, and a force gauge?
Whooda Thunkitt?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 12 2022, @09:00PM (2 children)
Ah but what if you have an infinitely long string that is infinitesimally thin made of infinitely strong fiber? Hm?
(Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday June 12 2022, @09:21PM
Then you'll need a better "computer".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 13 2022, @07:31AM
"Take it to the limit".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 13 2022, @01:12AM (3 children)
Wake me up when
a) There's a quantum AI being an AI because its simulating itself (and the outside world).
b) They are cracking 2048 bit (or more) RSA in a reasonable time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 13 2022, @01:33AM
the real lesson here, is to foil your quantum AI, from cracking your RSA, is to quarrantine it to classical hardware.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 13 2022, @05:23AM
These types of computers can only do simulations, not factorization.
There's no reason to expect that quantum computers can solve the problem of artificial general intelligence better than classical ones.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 13 2022, @04:14PM
What about a Quantum Processing Unit(QPU) off the shelf...