Physicists have shown that an ordinary computer, paired with advanced mathematics and specialized software, can solve a quantum physics problem that had been described as beyond the reach of classical machines, according to ScienceDaily.
The work was done by researchers at the Center for Computational Quantum Physics at the Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute, along with collaborators at Boston University. Their approach was efficient enough that some of the calculations could be run on a personal laptop.
The challenge involved simulating hundreds of interacting qubits arranged in square, cubic, or diamond-shaped lattices. Because qubits can exist in superposition and become entangled, the calculations grow extremely difficult for conventional computers as the system gets larger.
To get around that barrier, the team developed tools based on tensor networks, which compress wave function information so it can be handled more efficiently. Many of the simulations required modest computing resources, and some of the early calculations were done using ITensor, a software library created at the CCQ.
According to ScienceDaily, the new simulations matched theoretical predictions, worked well on smaller problems where answers could be checked, and agreed with results previously obtained using a quantum computer. The researchers say the work helps clarify the line between classical computing and quantum advantage, while also showing how the two fields can inform each other.
