1.7 Summary

In this first chapter we looked at what is motivating the recent interest in quantum computers. The lone 1s and 0s of classical computing bits are extended and complemented by the infinite states of qubits, also known as quantum bits. The properties of superposition and entanglement give us access to many dimensions of working memory that are unavailable to classical computers.

Industry use cases for quantum computing are nascent but the areas where experts believe it will be applicable sooner are chemistry, materials science, and financial services. AI is another area where quantum may boost performance for some kinds of calculations.

There has been confusion in traditional and social media about the interplay of security, information encryption, and quantum computing. The major areas of misunderstanding are the necessary performance requirements and the timeline.

In the next chapter, we look at classical bit-based computing to more precisely and technically explore how quantum computing may help us attack problems that are otherwise impossible today. In chapter 3 through chapter 6 we work through the mathematics necessary for you to see how quantum computing works. There is a lot to cover, but it is worth it to be able to go deeper than a merely superficial understanding of the ‘‘whats,’’ ‘‘hows,’’ and ‘‘whys’’ of quantum computing.

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Foundations