A quantum computer only needs one universe

Journal article

Abstract:: The nature of quantum computation is discussed. It is argued that, in terms of the amount of information manipulated in a given time, quantum and classical computation are equally efficient. Quantum superposition does not permit quantum computers to "perform many computations simultaneously" except in a highly qualified and to some extent misleading sense. Quantum computation is therefore not well described by interpretations of quantum mechanics which invoke the concept of vast numbers of parallel universes. Rather, entanglement makes available types of computation processes which, while not exponentially larger than classical ones, are unavailable to classical systems. The essence of quantum computation is that it uses entanglement to generate and manipulate a physical representation of the correlations between logical entities, without the need to completely represent the logical entities themselves. © 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Journal:: STUDIES IN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF MODERN PHYSICS More from this journal
Volume:: 34B
Issue:: 3
Pages:: 469-478
Publication date:: 2003-09-01
DOI:: 10.1016/S1355-2198(03)00038-8
EISSN:: 1879-2502
ISSN:: 1355-2198

Language:: English
Keywords:: parallel universes

entanglement

classical computation

quantum computation
Pubs id:: pubs:29936
UUID:: uuid:6685673e-e72c-4e34-b5c2-b70b8a33beef
Local pid:: pubs:29936
Source identifiers:: 29936
Deposit date:: 2012-12-19
ARK identifier:: ark:/29072/ora_6685673ee72c4e34b5c2b70b8a33beef

Licence:: Terms and Conditions of Use for Oxford University Research Archive

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