
First quantum computers need smart software - agronaut
https://www.nature.com/news/first-quantum-computers-need-smart-software-1.22590
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MeteorMarc
Look here for a better informed source: [https://www.osa-
opn.org/home/articles/volume_27/october_2016...](https://www.osa-
opn.org/home/articles/volume_27/october_2016/features/quantum_computing_how_close_are_we/)

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throwaway613834
I somehow feel like quantum computing will forever remain a theory and never
make it into practice. How much reason is there to believe that I might be
wrong?

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akvadrako
Well quantum computing is obviously physically possible. Somehow systems
evolve from a prepared input to an output predicted by quantum mechanics.

However the difficulty of scaling quantum computers goes up exponentially with
the number of qubits, thus we may not achieve enough success to make them
practical.

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throwaway613834
> Well quantum computing is obviously physically possible.

Well, since you mentioned this: would you mind linking me to a single
demonstration of it that has been conclusively established as evidence of
quantum computing? I've seen lots of D-Wave stuff but to my knowledge the
experts don't actually really buy those.

> However the difficulty of scaling quantum computers goes up exponentially
> with the number of qubits, so we might not achieve enough success to make
> them practical.

But yes, this is more in line with what I was thinking. Even if it's possible
I don't expect it will be practical (hence why I used this word in the earlier
comment).

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akvadrako
_> would you mind linking me to a single demonstration of it_

I mean physics is quantum. At least, the interface between our experimental
apparatuses and the micro world demonstrates all the expected speedups. Every
known experiment backs this up.

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AlexCoventry
IIRC, we were due for quantum supremacy by the end of the year. Are we still
on track for that?

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akvadrako
Anybody who claims to know when we'll be able to build practical quantum
computers doesn't know what they are talking about. Scaling is a _very
difficult_ problem.

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eru
Quantum Supremacy doesn't require practical quantum computers. Special purpose
quantum computers that can only do one task better than classical computers,
even if that task is useless, meet the definition of quantum supremacy.

