IBM’s Quantum Computer

Since its inception, digital computation has been based off a binary language of ones and zeros. These ones and zeros are indicated by transistors, which are either in an on state (a one) or an off state (a zero). As computers have advanced, those transistors have become smaller and smaller. A computer with a million transistors used to fill an entire warehouse. Now, it fits in your pocket. However, we may have reached the limits of binary computing. With transistors now the size of atoms, the time is ripe for an evolutionary leap in computing.

Quantum computing seems to be that evolutionary next step. While quantum computing does not yet seem to be capable of replacing classical computing, it clearly holds promise for surpassing classical computing in terms of raw computational power. As Bernard Marr explains, “We are entering a big data world in which the information we need to store is growing; there is a need for more ones and zeroes and transistors to process them. For the most part, classical computers are limited to doing one thing at a time, so the more complex the problem, the longer it takes. A problem that requires more power and time than today’s computers can accommodate is called an intractable problem. These are the problems that quantum computers are predicted to solve.”

Already, quantum computers are showing great potential. Google has shared insightful details about its quantum computing project, which it runs in partnership with NASA. Currently, its D-Wave 2X quantum computer has been running at a pace about 100,000,000 times faster than a traditional computer chip.

A key question for Hypernet then, and a question we often hear from the community is:

“Will ultra-powerful quantum computing ever make Hypernet obsolete?”

It’s a valid quesiton, and fortunately it has an easy answer: No. This is because they each perform separate functions. Quantum computing is a different type of computation, and Hypernet is a protocol for parallelizing multiple computation nodes.

In fact, the opposite is true. As quantum computing gets stronger, so does Hypernet. A quantum computer could easily be appended to the network, alongside traditional computers. Hypernet’s proprietary API can still be leveraged to synthesize the results of many quantum machines running in parallel.

Although the future is impossible to predict, we at Hypernet feel well positioned to lead the way in parallel distributed supercomputing — quantum or otherwise.

To learn more about Hypernet’s technology, you can check out our website. Then, be sure to join our Telegram group where you can ask our team questions. For those of you already in there, you can also now subscribe to our new announcement channel.

-Your Hyperteam

Palo Alto, CA