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[Mr Tk]

Short answer:So what a quantum computer does it give you the optimal result without the time delay of calculating results which aren't optimal.

Long answer: It's advantage is ability to from deterministic processing to non-deterministic processing, to solve the optimal answer to a problem.

Our computer are deterministic, which means that for a problem it has to through and check all possibilities and find which one is the best (hence optimal). The problem is that some problems (like the Travelling Salesman Problem are so complex to solve that there is no efficient way to sale them optimally. Trying to solve it with a large data set could take years because it has test all combinations of routes.  (As a side note there are quick ways to 'solve' it, but these are not optimal.) So it has to try 2ⁿ combinations (where n is the number of cities). Each one of those combinations takes a certain amount of time to solve, so even with a small set of cities it can a while.)

An non-deterministic computer (quantum computer if you will) will respond in one of a few ways.

First it will 'know' the answer and spit it straight out.
Second if it finds a wrong combination it suffers no time penalty, meaning that in a 2ⁿ problem 2ⁿ - 1 results take no time at all to calculate (assuming there is only one optimal answer.) To our perception these two results are same.

So what a quantum computer does it give you the optimal result without the time delay of calculating results which aren't optimal.

Also see P Vs NP, Turing Machines, and Time Complexities (Big O notation)

[Creamcorn]

It cant run DF. Totally useless.

QFTFT

No really, what does it do?

[Smitehappy]

Those crazy electrons, being in an infinity amount of places at once.

[Dakk]

I can imagine how the world will change after quantum processors are feasible, though it may also speed up skynet's development, which will then be destroyed shortly after we upload DF to it with a fort with no less then a couple cats of different genders.

Then we just have to wait its quantum processors collapse into themselves.

[Ampersand]

I can imagine how the world will change after quantum processors are feasible...

You mean like three days ago?

[Emperor_Jonathan]

I can imagine how the world will change after quantum processors are feasible...

You mean like three days ago?

I think he means feasible as in feasible at a consumer level.

[qwertyuiopas]

I can imagine how the world will change after quantum processors are feasible, though it may also speed up skynet's development, which will then be destroyed shortly after we upload DF to it with a fort with no less then a couple cats of different genders.

Then we just have to wait its quantum processors collapse into themselves.

Make sure there is no pop cap, to get it to crash that tiny bit faster, and most importantly:
Disable pause and escape.

[Virex]

If it can do the traveling salesman fast, then it can be very relevant for DF as it can find the best way to assing jobs to a set of dwarves based upon priority and distance.

[Tormy]

It cant run DF. Totally useless.

QFTFT

No really, what does it do?

Well it's hard to explain, because it's kinda complicated, and my english knowledge is quite crappy, but you can read more about quantum computers here.

[Mr Tk]

If it can do the traveling salesman fast, then it can be very relevant for DF as it can find the best way to assing jobs to a set of dwarves based upon priority and distance.

Dead right.

The general idea is that when the A* algorithm is doing it's thing you have the to calculate lots of paths which aren't going to be used because they *may* be optimal. This takes time.

Quantum computer computer says: Wrong answers take NO time to calculate.

Quantum computer would be very, VERY good for path finding.

[zchris13]

Because the universe has to pause to calculate the correct answer.  It finds it, then we start happening again.  Sort of like that, eh?
A frame is a frame is a frame.

[Battlefrank]

http://www.osnews.com/story/21745/Yale_Researchers_Create_First_Quantum_Processor

Quantum mechanics is a rather complicated field of science that only the brightest minds in the world can fully understand. Quantum computers function on the basis of quantum mechanical phenomena.

The team at Yale built a processor out of two two qubits, artificially made atoms consisting out of billions of aluminium atoms (but acting like a single atom). These qubits can employ two energy states like regular bits (on and off), however, thanks to the magic of superposition, qubits can be placed in multiple states at the same time. For the first time, the Yale team has run simple algorithms on this chip. The qubits on the chip are connected by a quantum bus, "photons that transmit information through wires connecting the qubits".

Just tell me if it can run Crysis.

From my experience, Dwarf Fortress is MUCH HARDER on the computer than Crysis

[Angellus]

Certainly in terms of cpu usage, yes.

[umiman]

Angellus: That cat seems to be typing "jkj edc".

[Angellus]

Angellus: That cat seems to be typing "jkj edc".

XD lol that was random.