[extropy-chat] D-Wave premiere of 16 qubit processor

[Ricardo Barreira]

On 2/13/07, John K Clark <jonkc at att.net> wrote:
> "Damien Broderick" <thespike at satx.rr.com>
>
> > They're still claiming that < Quantum-computer technology can solve
> > what is known as "NP-complete" problems > although critics have shown
> > that this is an excessive claim for their own system.
>
> If what they say is true then this is HUGE

Anyone can solve NP problems with current computers, given enough
time. Now if you say "solving NP-complete problems in polynomial time"
then that would be great, but it's not what they're claiming - they're
claiming a quadratic speedup.

> I think it would do a tad better than that.
> Each time you add a qubit you
> double the performance of the quantum computer;
> even with Nanotechnology I
> doubt there is enough matter in the observable universe to build a
> conventional computer to equal the performance
> of a 1000 qubit quantum beast.

Are you making the common mistake of thinking that a 1000-qubit QC is
as powerful as 2^1000 classical computers for all applications?
If so, for someone who claims to know so much about what technologies
are bullshit and which aren't (i.e. your statements about CF), your
knowledge of QC seems to make your other claims much weaker.