Hyped as the solution to many problems – both hard and easy – quantum-enhanced optimization is a burgeoning research field. But with untrainable circuits, “barren plateaus” and deceptive local minimas, nature itself may prevent the use of quantum solutions for hard problems, as Pradeep Niroula explains
Quantum computers are often touted as the solution to all our problems. They are expected to cure disease, alleviate world hunger and even help mitigate the effects of climate change. Fuelled by this enthusiasm, a number of quantum computing firms have started joining established markets. However, despite this interest, there is still a lot of uncertainty around the near-term uses of quantum computers. A crucial question facing quantum researchers today, in both academia and industry, is a pretty fundamental one: what problems are best solved with these devices?
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