It is fascinating to think of the power we all have at our fingertips-today's smartphones have the computing power of military computers of 50 years ago, taking up the space of an entire room. Yet even with the incredible advances we have made in technology since the beginning of the computer revolution, there are still some problems that conventional computers are unable to solve. Many think that quantum computers (s) have the solution.
The limitations of classical computers
The switching and memory units of computers, called transistors, have been considerably transformed and are almost as small as atoms; We now have to find an entirely new way of thinking and building computers. Even if a conventional computer allows us to do many incredible things, "under the hood", it is only a calculator that uses bit sequences - between 0 and 1, which represent two states and manage the Data that we enter through a set of pre-established instructions. Quantum computers are not meant to replace conventional computers, but they should represent a different tool used to solve complex problems that exceed the capabilities of a conventional computer.
Basically, we are entering a world of big data in which the information we need is more numerous, so we need more sequences and transistors to process them. For the most part, conventional computers are limited to doing one thing at a time, so the more complex the problem, the longer the task. A problem that requires more power and time than a current computer can handle is called an insoluble problem. These are the problems that quantum computers are intended to solve.
The power of quantum computers
When you enter the world of atomic and subatomic particles, things happen differently. Indeed, these particles can exist in more than one state at a time. It is this capacity that quantum computers exploit.
Instead of the bits that traditional computers use, a quantum computer uses quantum bits, called qubits. To illustrate this difference, imagine a sphere. A bit may exist at either end of this sphere, but a qubit may exist at any point of this sphere. This means that a computer using qubits can store a very large amount of information, while using less energy than a conventional computer. In this quantum computing where the traditional laws of physics are no longer, we can create processors significantly faster (about a million times faster) than we use today. Fantastic, you will say, but the challenge lies in the fact that quantum computing is incredibly complex.
All the pressure is on the shoulders of the computer industry, in order to find ways to make it more effective, since we have already reached the limits of conventional methods. By 2040, according to a report from the Semiconductor Industry Association, we will no longer be able to power all the devices on the globe. This is precisely why the computer industry is currently trying to make quantum computers functional to sell. Not a small feat, but one that will bring a lot of profit.
How our world will change with quantum computing
It is difficult to predict exactly how quantum computing will revolutionize our world, because it will be applied to all industries. We venture into an absolutely novel field of physics, where solutions and uses have never been thought of before. But when you think about how conventional computers have upset our societies, with a relatively simple use of bits and 0s and 1s, you can imagine what extraordinary possibilities will bring quantum computing into its qubits processing power, capable To perform millions of calculations at the same time.
What we already know is that it will be a real revolution for all industries, which will have an impact on our actions, our inventions on medicines, materials, how Which we are saving our data, the one we are exploring space and plan the weather and climate change. It is no coincidence that some of the most influential companies in the world, such as IBM and Google, and some world governments, are already investing in quantum computing. Everyone expects that quantum computing will profoundly transform the world as we know it today, because it will allow us to solve more complex problems and to become more efficient ... things that are Which can not be envisaged for the time being but which will become commonplace in the years to come.
