Is quantum programming really possible?

[JakesDev96]

Hello all,

I have come here to gather what the communities view is on the possibility of quantum computing in relation to the actual logic behind synchronous programming and the laws that (seem to) govern the quantum realm.

Coming from a background in computer science, I have studied the basic fundamentals of how high and low level programming work. Many of the basic ideas of programming seem to contrast with the ideas of quantum physics. Here is the major problem I see with quantum programming:

Synchronous Tasks - Programming works in steps; just a set of instructions to do one thing at a time. Say you were awaiting a value from one function before passing it off to another. This would involve time, now normally this wouldn't be an issue. However, in the quantum scale, wouldn't time be non existent? Unless we seemed to find the pattern in which information passes in an infinite number of cases that simulate time, I do not see this being possible. With that being said, quantum computing could only perform asynchronous operations.

This would essentially allow for quantum computing, but not practical logical computing.

So, is quantum programming really possible?

 

[jerromyjon]

Hello and welcome to PF!

However, in the quantum scale, wouldn't time be non existent?

I don't know why you would think this, there is Planck time which is an incredibly small amount of time, but time still "ticks" in the quantum realm.

Unless we seemed to find the pattern in which information passes in an infinite number of cases that simulate time, I do not see this being possible.

In quantum computing you still make a query and sit and wait for a result. The quantum algorithms are "different" ways of obtaining results. A popular example is Shor's algorithm.

So, is quantum programming really possible?

Google it.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/535621/google-researchers-make-quantum-computing-components-more-reliable/

 

[cosmik debris]

Many of the Quantum algorithms rely on an iterative procedure to produce an answer. Usually these iterations are to enhance the probability of the "right" answer so that it has a high probability of occurring when read out (see the Born Rule in QM). These iterations are what usually reduce the computation time down from exponential to something like quadratic. It still takes time to setup a problem, compute it, and reduce it.