Quantum chemistry
The Green Revolution of the twentieth century increased the production of food worldwide. Hunger, in most countries, is now more a matter of economic inequality, poverty and weak governance rather …
Course: Understanding Quantum Computers
Generalized search
Computer scientist Lov Grover found a quantum algorithm, or perhaps more correctly an algorithmic framework, that allows quantum computing to be applied to almost any problem. It is commonly applied …
Factoring of large numbers
If you have heard of quantum computers before, you have probably heard that they can factor large numbers. Factoring seems simple, if you think about small numbers: it’s easy to …
Sheer Curiosity
The final motivation for building quantum computers is certainly the most fundamental: sheer curiosity. Scott Aaronson, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said in his Ph.D. thesis, back …
Moore’s Law: the Technology Incentive
The number of transistors in a CPU continues to increase. Famously, the exponential pace of this growth over the last several decades is called Moore’s Law. What is the current …
Solving Hard Problems Faster: The Benefit Incentive
Let’s begin by talking about the motivation. Why do we want to build quantum computers? The reason that’s most talked about is that quantum computers will be able to compute …
Introduction
After twenty years as a subject of quiet academic research, suddenly talk about quantum computers is everywhere. You can use a quantum computer via the web, and perhaps soon buy …