Google Reveals Quantum Computing Advance

Google announces a new quantum computer breakthrough at its headquarters. (Flickr)

Google announced a breakthrough in quantum computing on October 23, according to Nature Magazine. Google’s computer achieved “quantum supremacy,” meaning that it can outperform classical computers. 

Quantum computers work differently than classical computers. Classical computers use bits, which are either 1 or 0, to store information and complete tasks. In contrast, quantum computers use qubits, which can be both 0 and 1 at the same time. Quantum computers, therefore, can theoretically complete tasks faster than classical computers. 

Quantum computing began with physicists Paul Benioff and Richard Feynman in the 1980s, who proposed the first theoretical framework for quantum computers. The field grew quickly. By 2007, scientists at Yale University had created the first quantum processor, and IBM released its quantum-computing platform to the public in 2016, according to CNN.

According to Science magazine, Google’s paper appeared on a NASA research website but was quickly taken down. A month later, Google and NASA republished the paper, officially announcing the first instance of quantum supremacy. The quantum computer generated a truly random set of numbers in 200 seconds. A state-of-the-art classical computer takes 10,000 years to perform the same task. 

The algorithm that Google’s computer solved has no practical use, but it demonstrates that quantum computing has massive potential. Scientists have shown that quantum computers can simulate complex chemistry problems, opening the door to new medical research, according to the Institute for Advanced Study. 

Quantum computing also comes with concerns for financial encryption. Modern RSA encryption relies on the difficulty in factoring large numbers, according to the University of Waterloo Institute for Quantum Computing. Because classical computers cannot solve the “factoring problem,” most credit card transactions use RSA encryption. Quantum computing changes this. In 1996 MIT mathematician Peter Shor developed a quantum algorithm for the “factoring problem.” Experts have since noted that quantum computers might undermine the encryption used in most financial systems, according to the New York Times. 

Google’s paper assumed a state-of-the-art classical computer takes 10,000 years for the task, whereas the quantum computer takes only 200 seconds. According to NBC, IBM has challenged Google’s claim, pointing out that Google overestimates the time it takes for classical computers. In a blog post, IBM argues that classical computers would take only 2.5 days to complete the task.

Regardless, this development attracts attention as well as funding for research. Google’s quantum supremacy achievement may not affect the average person, but it represents a landmark technological development.