A Juggling Act. Will Quantum Computers Ever Be Built?
A Dialogue on Quantum Computing
Selected notes ~
+ Simplicio: We cannot yield the leadership in this technology to competitors who don’t have commitment to democracy and open society.
The loading of the information on the quantum computer is like balancing an inverted pyramid (we may call it the initialization problem), and this balancing is to be done with objects that are themselves flying about in all different directions. The juggler must mount this pyramid and continue juggling the pins while ensuring he doesn’t fall down.
+ Simplicio: Quantum computing will be one of the key technologies that decide which nation gets to be the leading technological power of the twenty-first century. Quantum computers operate in a mode where several pieces of information are simultaneously processed, making them faster than current-day machines. When built, quantum machines will provide an edge in code-breaking and the solution of certain optimization problems.
+ Salviati: While the mathematics at the basis of quantum algorithms is fine, there are practical engineering reasons why such computers will never be built.
Source: M. Subhash Kak, A Dialogue on Quantum Computing…
Content may have been edited for style and clarity.
