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Google Will Pay You $5M to Figure Out What the Hell Quantum Computers Do

17 points by sonabinu 3y ago

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
xhkkffbf 3y ago
The reality is that there don't seem to be many applications that can't be solved with a regular computer. Yes, there are some applications like crypto algorithms, but they were designed to be especially hard to compute. So far, quantum machines haven't shown any real results, even on the simplest toy examples from cryptography. Most engineering problems can be solved with a bit of careful approximation. You really don't need all of the craziness of these supercooled monstrosities. I'll be very curious to see if anyone can come up with a real application that needs them.
twp 3y ago
Original source: https://blog.google/technology/research/google-gesda-and-xprize-launch-new-competition-in-quantum-applications/ https://blog.google/technology/research/google-gesda-and-xpr... tl;dr: Google has spent billions of dollars on quantum computing and still can't find a single case where it does better than a thousand-dollar laptop. If you can help Google justify its billions of spending then you can win a handful of millions.
- Freedom2 3y ago
  Interesting. If I do find a use for quantum computing, why wouldn't I take that knowledge to someone like Peter Thiel or Paul Graham and found my own company?
wenc 3y ago
I mean it would be really nice if we solve really large scale optimization problems (mixed integer nonlinear) to global optimality, fast. But we already do today with some gross approximations and some suboptimality.
frodo8sam 3y ago
Computational chemistry seems like the obvious application. I guess the existing methods that run on classical computers are accurate enough for most purposes. These methods become prohibitively expensive for large systems but modern quantum computers are no were near big enough to be useful there anyway.
xscott 3y ago
I won't believe quantum computers are more than noise simulators until I see quantum computing factor large composite numbers. To me, that's the "flying car" we were promised.
westurner 3y ago
Quantum Algorithm Zoo lists algorithmic speedups: https://quantumalgorithmzoo.org/ https://quantumalgorithmzoo.org/ What are the known applications for the known quantum algorithms? What are existing NP problems that will be faster with enough coherent qubits and interconnect and storage? "Ask HN: What has quantum computing achieved so far?" (2023) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38822569#38830067 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38822569#38830067

17 points by sonabinu 3y ago

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

The reality is that there don't seem to be many applications that can't be solved with a regular computer. Yes, there are some applications like crypto algorithms, but they were designed to be especially hard to compute. So far, quantum machines haven't shown any real results, even on the simplest toy examples from cryptography. Most engineering problems can be solved with a bit of careful approximation. You really don't need all of the craziness of these supercooled monstrosities. I'll be very curious to see if anyone can come up with a real application that needs them.

twp 3y ago

Original source: https://blog.google/technology/research/google-gesda-and-xprize-launch-new-competition-in-quantum-applications/ https://blog.google/technology/research/google-gesda-and-xpr... tl;dr: Google has spent billions of dollars on quantum computing and still can't find a single case where it does better than a thousand-dollar laptop. If you can help Google justify its billions of spending then you can win a handful of millions.

Freedom2 3y ago
Interesting. If I do find a use for quantum computing, why wouldn't I take that knowledge to someone like Peter Thiel or Paul Graham and found my own company?

wenc 3y ago

I mean it would be really nice if we solve really large scale optimization problems (mixed integer nonlinear) to global optimality, fast. But we already do today with some gross approximations and some suboptimality.

frodo8sam 3y ago

Computational chemistry seems like the obvious application. I guess the existing methods that run on classical computers are accurate enough for most purposes. These methods become prohibitively expensive for large systems but modern quantum computers are no were near big enough to be useful there anyway.

xscott 3y ago

I won't believe quantum computers are more than noise simulators until I see quantum computing factor large composite numbers. To me, that's the "flying car" we were promised.

westurner 3y ago

Quantum Algorithm Zoo lists algorithmic speedups: https://quantumalgorithmzoo.org/ https://quantumalgorithmzoo.org/ What are the known applications for the known quantum algorithms? What are existing NP problems that will be faster with enough coherent qubits and interconnect and storage? "Ask HN: What has quantum computing achieved so far?" (2023) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38822569#38830067 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38822569#38830067