[Tutor] Quantum computing

[William Ray Wing]

On Dec 14, 2013, at 1:22 PM, Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> On 14/12/2013 17:14, Alan Gauld wrote:
>> On 14/12/13 15:37, Mark Lawrence wrote:
>>> 
>>> I believe that quantum computing is way OT for the Python tutor mailing
>>> list.
>> 
>> Yeah, you are probably right. Although there are precedents where we
>> have discussed general topics about the future of computing and
>> where/whether Python fits in.
>> 
>> But QC is probably a but more esoteric than any of those were!
>> 
> 
> True.  As it happens I'm happy to see things go OT on Python threads. It makes for more interesting reading, plus people might well pick up on something that otherwise they'd not have learned.  However I draw a line firmly in the sand at quantum computing here.  Let's stick with the wonders of list comprehensions, recursive functions and why can't Python do floating point arithmetic correctly?
> 
> -- 
> My fellow Pythonistas, ask not what our language can do for you, ask what you can do for our language.
> 
> Mark Lawrence

Well, as it turns out, there actually *IS* a commercially available quantum computer on the market today.  It is built by a Canadian company "D-Wave Systems" and early prototypes have been bought by companies like Google and Lockeed Martin and some Government labs.  Unfortunately, it isn't clear whether or not it is living up to expectations…

You can read a summary and sort of intro here:	http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/dwaves-year-of-computing-dangerously

-Bill