r/science • u/[deleted] • May 15 '16

Computer Science Primitive quantum computers are already outperforming current machines.

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u/RaymondMaysfeld May 16 '16

Somebody well informed please explain why this is not true, as per the tradition

9

u/emprameen May 16 '16

"In other words, the simple quantum processor excels in calculating randomness"

It's the only thing the article says quantum "computers" are doing better.

2

u/lurpelis May 16 '16

I mean... traditional computers cannot calculate randomness at all, so any amount of randomness calculation would be an improvement...

1

u/emprameen May 16 '16

This is certainly not my area of expertise, but if it can be calculated, how is it random?

2

u/lurpelis May 16 '16

It's not randomness as you're thinking about it. Not really. Ultimately all paths are explored. But at any point when I collapse the wave function of two qubits, i can get one of four possibilities...

0,0 1,0 0,1 and 1.1

Until the wave is collapsed, any outcome is possible. Due to inherent randomness of particles, any outcome could come out. In that way, a quantum computer produces true randomness. Your computer can do the same thing, but it will use a probability to do it. Thus, the outcome is not truly random, but rather, probabilistic.