3 ms·

This of course does not cover everything, but I'll try. Quantum computers store data as states that are either 0 or 1 when you measure them, but before measure

This of course does not cover everything, but I'll try. Quantum computers store data as states that are either 0 or 1 when you measure them, but before measurement they are in a superposition of these two. Quantum computers are initialized in a ground state, and are programmed by slowly modifying the system such that the new ground state is the solution to the problem you care about. Then you do the measurements and the state collapses to the solution you want. There are certain specific problems where evolving and collapsing the system in this way is demonstrably faster than the best classical computer algorithms we have today.

Mandatum 5y ago
Wait, is this like ML models but instead of generating the models by repeating inputs to get a “best guess” engine, you put in the intended outcome and it.. Magically has an engine?
- semi-extrinsic 5y ago
  Maybe the closest analog is: imagine if you have that type of magic hydrophobic sand that doesn't get wet, like you can buy for kids. So you have a sandbox with this, and initially there is a big circular valley in the middle of the sandbox that is filled with water. Then you can slowly move the sand around, making different hills and valleys, and the water will follow the sand always in the minimum energy configuration, until the shape of the lakes in that terrain represent the solution to whatever problem you care about. Then you take a photo and measure exactly the distances, angles, areas etc. With this analogy you get some feeling for what manipulating the ground state means, and why you need to do so slowly, and also that this is not a tool that will solve all types of problems.
  - Mandatum 5y ago
    This shit blows my fucking mind.
valbaca 5y ago
So do quantum computers give better implementations of languages like Prolog? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolog
- semi-extrinsic 5y ago
  No. They are "programmed" in languages entirely unlike anything we are used to (at least for now).

Mandatum 5y ago

Wait, is this like ML models but instead of generating the models by repeating inputs to get a “best guess” engine, you put in the intended outcome and it.. Magically has an engine?

semi-extrinsic 5y ago
Maybe the closest analog is: imagine if you have that type of magic hydrophobic sand that doesn't get wet, like you can buy for kids. So you have a sandbox with this, and initially there is a big circular valley in the middle of the sandbox that is filled with water. Then you can slowly move the sand around, making different hills and valleys, and the water will follow the sand always in the minimum energy configuration, until the shape of the lakes in that terrain represent the solution to whatever problem you care about. Then you take a photo and measure exactly the distances, angles, areas etc. With this analogy you get some feeling for what manipulating the ground state means, and why you need to do so slowly, and also that this is not a tool that will solve all types of problems.
- Mandatum 5y ago
  This shit blows my fucking mind.

valbaca 5y ago

So do quantum computers give better implementations of languages like Prolog? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolog https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolog

semi-extrinsic 5y ago
No. They are "programmed" in languages entirely unlike anything we are used to (at least for now).