Appendix A: What Is Quantum Computing?

Philip L. Frana, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies & Independent Scholars, James Madison University

Quantum computing is a fundamentally unique way of processing information and calculating solutions to problems. Quantum computers are capable of operating in an extremely large number of states simultaneously, while classical computers can operate in only one state at any given moment. Because they work in a different way, many scientists believe that these quantum computers can deliver exponential speedups and solve problems that elude classical computers.

Classical computers ushered in the current Information Age, with all of its revolutionary digital advances: personal computing, Internet communication, smartphones, machine learning, and the knowledge economy generally. Classical computers encode and manipulate data in units known as bits. Today, these traditional general-purpose machines use billions of semiconductor parts known as transistors to switch or amplify electrical signals. A classical bit, like the power switch on your favorite electronic device, can be in one of two states at any given time, either 0 or 1. This is why classical information processing is said to be binary.

How Quantum Computing Works

Quantum computers process information by exploiting the actions of subatomic particles, for example, electrons, ions, or photons. Quantum computers store information in quantum registers, which are in ...

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