Subj : Re: Incomputable  (was: some other thread)
To   : comp.programming,comp.object
From : Gerry Quinn
Date : Wed Aug 17 2005 12:37 pm

In article <80b4g1hv4348nijv44abnpfuqu267hfaca@4ax.com>, 
Chris@Sonnack.com says...

> We had a similar discussion here recently.  One point of view was that
> Q/C would *only* allow us to solve problems that were "incomputable"
> due to lack of resource (time, space, energy, etc.)--that is, that it
> would just be a MUCH faster version of current machines.
> 
> The other point of view was that it would open new vistas in computation
> not even dreamed of now.
> 
> Another one where we'll just have to wait until we can throw the switch!

If you mean me by the second POV, my position was more nuanced in that 
I suggested that the *theoretical* power of quantum computing was 
unprecedented, but that I believe in practice error correction will 
bite it in the ass and no qualitative benefits will accrue at all, 
except perhaps in the simulation of quantum systems...

- Gerry Quinn

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