Re:What are we going to do with quantum computers?
by neltnerb on Sunday February 25, 2018 @12:30PM
(#16460020)
Why do you think so many qubits would be needed in order for it to be serious? The article quotes quantum computer researchers as saying 50-100 qubits could perform computations that are intractable on any classical computer. I'm inclined to believe them, the state space grows way faster than linearly as you entangle more particles.
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Re:What are we going to do with quantum computers?
by Strilanc on Sunday February 25, 2018 @01:41PM
(#16460408)
To encode 100 logical error-corrected qubits, you need on the order of 100K to 1M physical qubits. People mix up the two types all the time.
Re:What are we going to do with quantum computers?
by efangs on Sunday February 25, 2018 @04:09PM
(#16461160)
It's true that at 50-100 physical (not logical) qubits, it's no longer possible to simulate classically. That does not mean that they are useful.
As other people pointed out, you may need a factor of 100-1000 more physical qubits to get as many logical qubits.