Slashdot Mirror


Quantum Computing Programming Language

William Walker writes "The Economist has an article in its new issue describing attempts to write a programming language for quantum computers, if and when they appear. It does a good job of putting the challenges of qubits versus regular bits into layman's terms. ... The original paper is here."

38 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. Future work... by Cutriss · · Score: 5, Funny

    Port Slashcode to this, and we'll have FP comments *before* the articles appear!

    --
    "Mod, mod, mod...and another troll bites the dust."
    1. Re:Future work... by br0ck · · Score: 5, Funny

      But, luckily, as soon as they're observed they'll disappear.

    2. Re:Future work... by dark-br · · Score: 2, Funny

      Port Slashcode to this, and we'll have FP comments *before* the articles appear!

      And dont forget TACO posting dupes *before* the original posts :)

    3. Re:Future work... by wordisms · · Score: 2, Funny

      How will this affect the 'evil' bit in IPv4?

      Sorry, I couldn't resist.

    4. Re:Future work... by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

      Why do I imagine funky stuff like:

      function foo(x) {
      return(result);
      result = x + bar(x);
      }

  2. Q! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Someone should create a quantum programming language named "Q" in the fine tradition of "C".

    1. Re:Q! by __aaklbk2114 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Better yet, Q#: the fastest way to negate any speed improvments gained by quantum computers.

    2. Re:Q! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      What about QBasic?

  3. A name for the new quantum language by dfn5 · · Score: 4, Funny

    c??

    --
    -- Thou hast strayed far from the path of the Avatar.
    1. Re:A name for the new quantum language by OECD · · Score: 5, Funny

      In honor of Schrodinger: c@

      --
      One man's -1 Flamebait is another man's +5 Funny.
    2. Re:A name for the new quantum language by TeknoHog · · Score: 4, Funny
      As a physicist who likes scripting languages, I propose the following:

      (|Perl> + |Python>)/sqrt{2}

      And as soon as I get a quantum cable connection, you can warez my copy of "The Qubbit, or (|There> + |Back again>)/sqrt{2}".

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  4. Heisenberg says... by pr0nbot · · Score: 5, Funny

    attempts to write a programming language for quantum computers, if and when they appear

    Just don't observe them and they will appear!

  5. layman's terms... yea right by Christopher_G_Lewis · · Score: 4, Funny

    It does a good job of putting the challenges of qubits versus regular bits into layman's terms.

    Yea right. A sample run past my mom...

    (Mom reads the article...)

    Mom: Will this make FreeCell any easier?

    Me: Well, a quantum computer could actually solve all the possible shuffles of FreeCell in one pass.

    Mom: That wouldn't be any fun... Would the Internet be faster?

    Me: Not until we get rid of your dialup and get you a cable modem.

    and so on :-)

  6. How long . . . by cjpez · · Score: 2, Funny

    . . . before this makes it into the Gnu Compiler Collection?

  7. Re:that'll never happen by scott1853 · · Score: 4, Funny

    This article is about quantum programming, not Windows programming.

  8. Sample line of code by jamesmartinluther · · Score: 5, Funny

    my $cat = new Cat('Felix');
    my $occupants = [$cat];
    my $room = new Room($occupants);
    $room->kill_occupant($cat);

    # is he dead?
    $room->status_occupant($cat);
    # doh!

    - James

  9. Re:that'll never happen by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny

    even worse - half the time, when you order your quantum computer and you open the box, it will be DOA.

  10. Curse my physics background! by dabootsie · · Score: 5, Funny

    If I didn't know the difference between quantum superposition and tachyons, I'd probably have found that funny too.

  11. New name for programs by cachorro · · Score: 2, Funny

    If we build something with qubits, should we call it an ark?

  12. Heisenburg Works for code, too by GuyMannDude · · Score: 4, Funny

    Personally, I'm just waiting for someone to complain to me that they found a bug in my quantum code:

    "It wasn't like that when I originally coded it! You must have looked at it or something! So it's really your bug now, isn't it?

    GMD

  13. Sample code: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    if(1 && 0)
    {
    DoBothBranches();
    }
    else
    {
    DoBothBranchesAnyways();
    }
    else
    {
    WhatTheHellIsGoingOn();
    goto PrintAnswerToQuestionYouWereThinkingOf();
    }

    1. Re:Sample code: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      while(break)
      true;

      false = true;

      segmentation fault (core dumped)
      ** please do not view the core, you will change it if you do **

  14. Yay by dubbayu_d_40 · · Score: 4, Funny

    GOTO will be all the rage. Maybe they'll call it LEAP instead!

    1. Re:Yay by new+death+barbie · · Score: 2, Funny

      and there'll finally be an implementation of the long-awaited COMEFROM statement...

      --

      It's supposed to be completely automatic, but actually you have to press this button.

  15. The real problem will be... by FurryFeet · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... when programs have Shroedinger's bugs.
    Imagine debugging those. Are they squashed? Or are they squashed/unsquashed at the same time?
    (Apologies to real physicists. I'm just being silly. In case you can't tell)

  16. Re:Seen Quantum::Superpositions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Don't worry, soon the other universes will pass the Quantum Millenium Copyright Act which makes all IP computed in their universes their property.

    Hell I don't know about you, but I don't want those freeloading universes using up MY computer cycles without paying me!

  17. A natural feature for a quantum computer language by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 2, Funny
    I propose this useful builtin library function:

    decrypt(cyphertext)

    returns tuple: (public_key, private_key, plaintext)
  18. Quantum Computing Jobs by YetAnotherName · · Score: 3, Funny
    I'd wager some lame-brain human resources departments (under direction from pointy-haired bosses) will soon start posting job advertisements for this theoretical language on non-existent hardware:
    WANTED: Software development engineers and software QA engineers. Require three to five years experience with qubit-based systems (Q#, Qava, etc.).
    After all, Java jobs appeared (requiring a minimum four years experience) when Java was just two years old.
    1. Re:Quantum Computing Jobs by Ozan · · Score: 2, Funny

      WANTED: Software development engineers and software QA engineers. Require three to five years experience with qubit-based systems (Q#, Qava, etc.).

      Interviewer: How many years of experience in quantum programming do you have and in which languages?
      Applicant: Last time I checked it was 4 years in Q++ and Turbo Q.
      Interviewer: So you have 4 years of experience in Q++ and Turbo Q?
      Applicant: To be honest I can't be sure of it anymore.
      Interviewer: Gnah!

  19. Quantum Project Management... by PinchDuck · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can either tell you what milestone we're on, or how fast the project is progressing, but not both.

  20. Debugging by miketang16 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Error: Missing ';' near identifier 'qubit0'
    (Could be you left out a semicolon, could be background cosmic radiation messing with your qubits)

    hehe... Microsoft'll love this...

    --
    -------
    "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
    -- George Orwell
  21. Re:that'll never happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    No you've gotten it quite wrong:

    *All* the time, when you order your quantum computer and you open the box, it will be *both* DOA *and* fully functional. You simply won't know until you open the box.

    It will, however, *always* contain a dead cat in the box.

  22. Qubits by talleyrand · · Score: 2, Funny

    With apologies to Bill Cosby

    God: I want you to build an ark.

    Noah: Right! What's an ark?

    God: Get some wood. Build it 300 cubits by 80 cubits by 40 cubits.

    Noah:Right! What's a cubit?

    --

    "My fingers Emit sparks of fire in Expectation of my future labours." William Blake
  23. Isn't that Perl? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    An infinite number of ways to get from here to there?

  24. superposed phases by sstory · · Score: 3, Funny

    Phase 1: Steal Underwear Phase 1: ??? Phase 1: Profit!

  25. Did you hear... by Dem0sthenes · · Score: 2, Funny
    "Did you hear about that quantum computer that factored 15?"

    "Seriously?! Now I have to change my PGP key..."

  26. Re:Seen Quantum::Superpositions by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    (quote)
    use Quantum::Superpositions;
    my $foo = any(1, 2, 3);
    if($foo == 1 && $foo == 2 && $foo == 3) {
    print "hooray";
    }
    (end quote)

    Can it be encapsulated behind API's like?:

    if(spookyShit($foo,[1,2,3])) {
    print "hooray";
    }

  27. Re:that'll never happen by archeopterix · · Score: 2, Funny
    Can anybody tell me the exact moment when a cat dies?
    Every time you... uhm... err... nevermind.