The Many-Worlds Interpretation and Quantum Computation

Duwell, Armond J.

doi:10.1086/525640

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…There is no reason to think that the only interpretation of quantum mechanics that can support the QPT is the MWI. Duwell (2007) argues that any interpretation that interprets pure quantum states ontologically will be able to endorse the thesis as much as any other.…”

Section: The Quantum Parallelism Thesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Physics and Computation

Duwell

2021

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This Element has three main aims. First, it aims to help the reader understand the concept of computation that Turing developed, his corresponding results, and what those results indicate about the limits of computational possibility. Second, it aims to bring the reader up to speed on analyses of computation in physical systems which provide the most general characterizations of what it takes for a physical system to be a computational system. Third, it aims to introduce the reader to some different kinds of quantum computers, describe quantum speedup, and present some explanation sketches of quantum speedup. If successful, this Element will equip the reader with a basic knowledge necessary for pursuing these topics in more detail.

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Section: The Quantum Parallelism Thesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Physics and Computation

Duwell

2021

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“…According to the Quantum Parallelism Thesis, a QPRAM enjoys an advantage over a classical PRAM because it can invoke "quantum parallelism". This refers to a capacity to carry out many computations simultaneously in superposition of quantum states (see, for [12,13,14,15,16,17]). Due to the lack of a full understanding of what quantum parallelism exactly means (and why a QPRAM is superior to a classical PRAM [18]), one can assume this:…”

Section: Conjecture Of Quantum Parallel Computingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equal cost of computation for truth and falsity of experimental quantum propositions necessitates quantum parallel computing

Bolotin

2020

Preprint

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Notwithstanding interest and excitement building around quantum computing in the last decades, a concise statement saying where this computing can truly help is still missing. As it is shown in the present paper, equal cost of computation for truth and falsity of experimental quantum propositions (required in order to infer a conclusion from a premise) cannot be achieved with classical computing. On the other hand, this equality might be realized with quantum parallel computing provided that the efficiency of such computing can be greater than 1.

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“…This is what I take to be the aim of explanations of quantum speedup that appeal, for instance, to the fact that quantum computers are capable of massively parallel function evaluation using a single circuit (Duwell, 2004(Duwell, , 2007Hewitt-Horsman, 2009), or accounts of quantum speedup that explain it as arising from the manipulation of the correlations between these function evaluations instead of the results of the evaluations themselves (Steane, 2003), or those which describe quantum computers as computing the global properties of functions (Bub, 2006(Bub, , 2010.…”

Section: The Question Regarding the Source Of Quantum Speedupmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Physical Explanation for Quantum Computational Speedup

Cuffaro

2013

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On the Physical Explanation for Quantum Computational Speedup Michael E. CuffaroThe aim of this dissertation is to clarify the debate over the explanation of quantum speedup and to submit, for the reader's consideration, a tentative resolution to it. In particular, I argue, in this dissertation, that the physical explanation for quantum speedup is precisely the fact that the phenomenon of quantum entanglement enables a quantum computer to fully exploit the representational capacity of Hilbert space. This is impossible for classical systems, joint states of which must always be representable as product states.I begin the dissertation by considering, in Chapter 2, the most popular of the candidate physical explanations for quantum speedup: the many worlds explanation of quantum computation. I argue that, although it is inspired by the neo-Everettian interpretation of quantum mechanics, unlike the latter it does not have the conceptual resources required to overcome objections such as the so-called 'preferred basis objection'. I further argue that the many worlds explanation, at best, can serve as a good description of the physical process which takes place in so-called network-based computation, but that it is incompatible with other models of computation such as cluster state quantum computing. I next consider, in Chapter 3, a common component of most other candidate explanations of quantum speedup: quantum entanglement. I investigate whether entanglement can be said to be a necessary component of any explanation for quantum speedup, and I consider two major purported counter-examples to this claim. I argue that neither of these, in fact, show that entanglement is unnecessary for speedup, and that, on the contrary, we should conclude that it is. In Chapters 4 and 5 I then ask whether entanglement can be said to be sufficient as well. In Chapter 4 I argue that despite a result that seems to indicate the contrary, entanglement, considered as a resource, can be seen as sufficient to enable quantum speedup. Finally, in Chapter 5 I argue that entanglement is sufficient to explain quantum speedup as well.

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The Many-Worlds Interpretation and Quantum Computation

Cited by 12 publications

References 3 publications

Physics and Computation

Physics and Computation

Equal cost of computation for truth and falsity of experimental quantum propositions necessitates quantum parallel computing

On the Physical Explanation for Quantum Computational Speedup

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