Replies

This may explain the up move in IBM stock, a company with YOY [year over year] declines...

Speaking of IBM, this is from their website...

What is quantum computing?
A Beginner’s Guide to Quantum Computing

Nature — including molecules like caffeine — follows the laws of quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that explores how the physical world works at the most fundamental levels.

At this level, particles behave in strange ways, taking on more than one state at the same time, and interacting with other particles that are very far away.

Quantum computing harnesses these quantum phenomena to process information in a novel and promising way.

The computers we use today are known as classical computers. They’ve been a driving force in the world for decades — advancing everything from healthcare to how we shop.

But there are certain problems that classical computers will simply never be able to solve.

Consider the caffeine molecule in a cup of coffee. Surprisingly, it’s complex enough that no computer that exists or could be built would be capable of modeling caffeine and fully understanding its detailed structure and properties.

This is the type of challenge quantum has the potential to tackle.
__________________________________

How do quantum computers work?

VIDEO: Quantum computing explained with a deck of cards | Dario Gil, IBM Research

Classical computers encode information in bits. Each bit can take the value of 1 or 0.

These 1s and 0s act as on/off switches that ultimately drive computer functions.

Quantum computers, on the other hand, are based on qubits, which operate according to two key principles of quantum physics: superposition and entanglement.

Superposition means that each qubit can represent both a 1 and a 0 at the same time.

Entanglement means that qubits in a superposition can be correlated with each other; that is, the state of one (whether it is a 1 or a 0) can depend on the state of another.

Using these two principles, qubits can act as more sophisticated switches, enabling quantum computers to function in ways that allow them to solve difficult problems that are intractable using today’s computers.

Try your hand at quantum in this simple demo [see link]

Learn about superposition in this interactive demo [see link]
___________________________________

What can quantum computers do?
Quantum and Chemistry

Quantum systems may untangle the complexity of molecular and chemical interactions leading to the discovery of new medicines and materials.

They may enable ultra-efficient logistics and supply chains, such as optimizing fleet operations for deliveries during the holiday season.

They may help us find new ways to model financial data and isolate key global risk factors to make better investments.

And they may make facets of artificial intelligence such as machine learning much more powerful.

Learn more about quantum computing applications [see link]
___________________________________

How do I get started with quantum computing?
Building a Quantum Community with IBM Q

IBM Q is an industry-first initiative to build commercially available universal quantum computing systems.

As part of this effort, The IBM Q experience enables anyone to connect at no cost to one of IBM’s quantum processors via the IBM Cloud, to run algorithms and experiments, and to collaboratively explore what might be possible with quantum computing.

Check out our User Guides and interactive Demos to learn more about quantum principles.

Or, dive right in to create and run algorithms on real quantum computing hardware, using the Quantum Composer and QISKit software developer kit.

Learn how to start experimenting with a quantum computer [see link]

http://www.research.ibm.com/ibm-q/learn/what-is-quantum-computing/