(May 3, 2012) Simulations
of reality would require less memory on a quantum computer than on a classical
computer, new research from scientists at the University of Bristol, published
in Nature Communications, has shown.
The study
by Dr Karoline Wiesner from the School of Mathematics and Centre for Complexity
Sciences, together with researchers from the Centre for Quantum Technologies in
Singapore, demonstrates a new way in which computers based on quantum physics
could beat the performance of classical computers.
When
confronted with a complicated system, scientists typically strive to identify
underlying simplicity which is then articulated as natural laws and fundamental
principles. However, complex systems
often seem immune to this approach, making it difficult to extract underlying
principles.
Researchers
have discovered that complex systems can be less complex than originally
thought if they allow quantum physics to help: quantum models of complex
systems are simpler and predict their behaviour more efficiently than classical
models.