Which is the next big thing that have the power to fully change the world in which we live and work. In 2018 two emerging technologies — Virtual Reality and Quantum Computing - promise the be part of the this revolution. Here I don't count cryptocurrencies, machine learning, big data because they already play a significant role in our everyday life. And here I want to cover the trend that starts now and will explode in next decade. People, IT leaders, programmers and business must not only predict the future but also be ready for its impact.
New technologies are unfolding on many fronts changing the way we live and the way we think. Many breakthroughs and “next big things” appear everyday. It's difficult to follow all new trends and news so it's better to focus on several. In my personal opinion I put Quantum Computing because of it's potential to increase our computational power exponentially. The other choice - Virtual Reality - is somehow continuation of Facebook, Google, Youtube, Twitter and much more. It can be considered as version 2.0 of current social and internet media which is much closer to the human.
Quantum Computing
Some consider Quantum Computers as the next step in computing and other as complete replacement of current PC. It's difficult to distinguish the real stuff from the heap. The quantum computers will not be a replacement of the old ones but a complementary to them. They will be tremendously faster in comparison to the traditional transistor PCs for specific operations. The way of working is completely different.
Some differences between quantum computers and conventional :
| Tradional | Quantum |
|---|---|
| bits | qbits |
| 0, 1 - possible values | |0},|1}, superposition: a|0} + b|1} |
| iterates through all solutions | flips all states in a superposition at the same time. |
| Pros - affordability, proven technology | Pros - factoring, searching, simulation |
| Cons - limited by physical constraints | Cons - decoherence, high physical requirements |
The way of working of quantum computers is the biggest advantage for them in areas as:
- factoring
- searching
- simulation of quantum mechanical systems
For classical computer if storing one character takes 64 bits, then storing N numbers takes N times 64 bits. On the other hand for every qbit you have, you can store twice as many numbers. For example, with 3 qbits, you get coefficients for |000}, |001}, |010}, |011}, |100}, |101}, |110} and |111}.
Several different types of quantum computers were announced recently by different companies. Some of them are using photons and some electrons.
Quantum supremacy
This terms denotes that time when the quantum computer will taken performance advantage over the conventional computer. It was announced that 2017 / 2018 will be the crucial point for such event but so far nothing proves that we are close to it. According to some people this will take more than 5 years.
Quantum Computing Resources
Quantum computing - wikipedia official article
Timeline of quantum computing - chronology on quantum computing
How Does a Quantum Computer Work? - good video explaining for beginers
- site which allows you to setup and experiment with quantum computer
PLAYGROUND CHALLENGE - presented simple problem Max-Cut
IBM Q experience library - a must read for every person who wants to start in quantum computer area. You can test and experiment on the site ( 5 qbits are available) after registration.