Quantum Programming - Part 1
The quantum computing is the new revolution. It is going to put the current IT such a prehistoric era. This new technology comes from quantum mechanical (or quantum-physics) regarding how atoms work (electrons, protons, neutrons, quarks, gluons). It includes, for exemple, the interactions between the particles.
Quantic Theory
We have a good understanding about to have one state by time, such as bit, with '0' or '1'. In the quantum theory, we have the concept that one unit can have more than one possibilities of different states. One unit (quantum bit) can be '0' and '1', the quantum superposition. The determinism is changed by probabilities. New algorithms are created to use the potencial power of processing.
Bellow, there are two good short videos about the pathway of the quantic theory (left) and a good explanation with a simple example comparing the traditional bit unit and the quantum you can see at the next video (right).
Quantum Computer
It's already a reality. However, it's not in every house yet. The processing is superior to traditional computers, at the same time the cost is superior as well.
This kind of machine has about 50-100 qubits which can overcome the classical computer problems. The limit of these machines regard to noise, but the works are towards to surpass this issue.
Some companies such as IBM, Microsoft, Google and D-wave, and other groups are working to improve the use of these machines. The works are around the hardware and software with different algorithms to use all the powerful processing. Each one has its own implementations of qubits, which makes us to abstract the hardware part and be focus on learning the quantum programming.
To start to learn this new concept is necessary to follow a Zen story "A cup of tea". You need to empty your mind and be available to different way to solve problems.
You can find a list of companies that already is working on this scope here: [1].
SDK
It's not necessary to have a quantum computer to start your path in direction of the quantum programming. There are simulators to do that.
- IBM: The Qiskit has access to quantum processor. The developer can start to learn that in a special section where is possible find all steps to be a IBM quantum programming.
- D-Wave: The Ocean also has access to quantum processor.
- Microsoft: Quantum Development Kit is a SDK based on simulators. To developers start the steps to learn to programming using that SDK can click here.
- Google: Cirq also is a SDK based on simulators. You can access the github and the group to get more information.
LANGUAGES
- Q#: It's used by Microsoft to be easear. You can work using VSCode. All the docs you can access here.
- QMASM:It's used by D-wave to program based on quantum assembler language.
- Python: This language is very popular and many companies or groups use that, such as Google.