Understanding Quantum Computing (Part 2)
The ability of quantum computers to work on millions of computations simultaneously is known as parallelism. It comes from the superposition of qubits. In other words, quantum computers are capable of carrying out millions of computations at once while today’s computer can perform only one at a time.
It is no surprise that a 30-qubit quantum computer contains processing power that a conventional computer can achieve by running at 10 teraflops (trillions of floating-point operations per second). Whereas the today’s typical computers run on a speed measured in gigaflops (billions of floating-point operations per second).
In coming days we can hope that quantum computers will replace silicon chips in a similar fashion as transistors replaced vacuum tubes. To date, the research to realize quantum bits based computation is in its infancy. And much of the research endeavoring to reach that goal can best be described as theoretical.
The most advanced quantum computers can achieve only 16 qubits manipulation power which points that such efforts are far short of being used as practical applications. However, quantum computers have created a potential where one can expect that one day such computers can perform quickly and easily cutting the computation time required by conventional computers incredibly short.
Years of research and major breakthroughs in the field of mathematics, material sciences and computer sciences are shaping the advances to realize the quantum based computations. With their super-fast processing power, these computers have potential to revolutionize by unleashing breakthroughs in several fields including materials and drug discovery, the optimization of complex systems, and artificial intelligence.
But to transform quantum computing theory into reality, we need to revisit the information processing and machines that do it.
Why we need quantum computing?
Every day we observe and experience the benefits brought to us by classical computation. Today’s computers prove very handy such that life without computers is hard to imagine in this technical era of time history. We seek help and entertain ourselves, we connect with other people all over the world, and we process huge amounts of data to address problems and maintain complex systems using the computational power of today’s computers.
How potentially it can revolutionize our lives?
With unprecedented computing power, the quantum computers will disrupt every industry. They will transform the way we do business, place security to safeguard our data, conduct research to fight diseases and invent new material, and deal with climate and natural catastrophes. As the efforts to create first commercially viable computer intensifies, here are few of the ways it will revolutionize our lives and the world.