The Quantum Computer Cometh
D-Wave, a private Canadian company with headquarters in Silicon Valley, California, demonstrated what they claim to be the world’s first commercially viable quantum computer. Such computers would be a complement to digital computers, not a replacement. Quantum computers can supposedly solve what in mathematics are called NP-complete problems, which often crop up in the life sciences, stock market studies, and even commercial areas.
As the son of a retired math professor, I find this especially exciting. NP- complete problems definitely cannot be solved on paper, let alone digital computers, except by brute force methods because of the amount of data and combinations of possibilities that need to be crunched. D-Wave’s new computer has a processor that is based on quantum mechanics - a landmark in computing history.
[…] In a recent article posted at Chaos Review, it was reported that D-Wave, a private Canadian company with offices in Silicon Valley has developed the first commercially viable quantum computer. If true, this may have a serious impact on data and personal security as it is today. […]