University of Kwazulu-Natal

Beyond Supremacy The Inevitable Rise Of Quantum Computing

Bonisiwe Shabane
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beyond supremacy the inevitable rise of quantum computing

In quantum computing, quantum supremacy or quantum advantage is the goal of demonstrating that a programmable quantum computer can solve a problem that no classical computer can solve in any feasible amount of time,... Conceptually, quantum supremacy involves both the engineering task of building a powerful quantum computer and the computational-complexity-theoretic task of finding a problem that can be solved by that quantum computer and has a superpolynomial... Examples of proposals to demonstrate quantum supremacy include the boson sampling proposal of Aaronson and Arkhipov,[9] and sampling the output of random quantum circuits.[10][11] The output distributions that are obtained by making measurements in... For this conclusion to be valid, only very mild assumptions in the theory of computational complexity have to be invoked. In this sense, quantum random sampling schemes can have the potential to show quantum supremacy.[12] A notable property of quantum supremacy is that it can be feasibly achieved by near-term quantum computers,[4] since it does not require a quantum computer to perform any useful task[13] or use high-quality quantum...

In 1936, Alan Turing published his paper, "On Computable Numbers",[18] in response to the 1900 Hilbert Problems. Turing's paper described what he called a "universal computing machine", which later became known as a Turing machine. In 1980, Paul Benioff used Turing's paper to propose the theoretical feasibility of Quantum Computing. His paper, "The Computer as a Physical System: A Microscopic Quantum Mechanical Hamiltonian Model of Computers as Represented by Turing Machines",[19] was the first to demonstrate that it is possible to show the reversible... In 1981, Richard Feynman showed that quantum mechanics could not be efficiently simulated on classical devices.[20] During a lecture, he delivered the famous quote, "Nature isn't classical, dammit, and if you want to make... For nearly a century, classical computing has fueled human progress.

From the punch cards of the 1940s to the smartphones in our pockets, we’ve ridden the exponential wave of Moore’s Law—a doubling of transistor density every two years. But even the most intricate silicon chip, packed with billions of transistors, is running up against the limits of physics. At the smallest scales, classical logic starts to wobble. Electrons tunnel through barriers. Heat becomes unmanageable. The world of bits begins to look… too simple.

Nature, it turns out, doesn’t run on binary alone. At the subatomic level, reality doesn’t behave like a spreadsheet. It dances. It flickers between states. It interferes with itself. It gets entangled.

This is the world of quantum mechanics, and for decades it has both bewildered and inspired physicists. But now, out of the cloud of equations and paradoxes, something tangible is emerging—a machine built not just to simulate nature, but to embody it. Quantum computing is not just a faster calculator. It’s an entirely new way of thinking, one that mirrors the deepest truths of the universe. And as we stand at the edge of this frontier, the implications are nothing short of revolutionary. To understand what makes a quantum computer different, we must first unlearn the tidy world of ones and zeroes.

In a classical computer, every piece of information is encoded in bits—tiny switches that are either on (1) or off (0). These bits are strung together into longer sequences that represent letters, images, sound, software, and everything else in the digital age. For decades, Moore’s Law has guided the exponential growth of computing power. But as silicon chips reach the limits of physical scalability, a new chapter in computational innovation is being written—one that doesn’t just accelerate performance, but redefines what’s computationally possible. Welcome to the era of Quantum Supremacy. Quantum supremacy marks the point where a quantum computer outperforms the best classical supercomputers for a specific task.

This isn’t about replacing classical machines just yet, but it is about showcasing a leap—proving that quantum processors can do what traditional systems simply cannot. In one pivotal experiment, a quantum processor completed a complex computation in 200 seconds—a task that would have taken the fastest classical supercomputer 10,000 years. That moment wasn’t just a milestone; it was the birth of a new paradigm. Unlike classical bits, which are binary (0 or 1), qubits operate in superposition, existing in multiple states simultaneously. When combined with entanglement and quantum interference, quantum computers can explore vast solution spaces in parallel—solving certain problems exponentially faster than any classical algorithm. Governments and tech companies continue to pour money into quantum technology in the hopes of building a supercomputer that can work at speeds we can't yet fathom to solve big problems.

Imagine a computer that could solve incredibly complex problems at a speed we can't yet fathom and bring about breakthroughs in fields like drug development or clean energy. That is widely considered the promise of quantum computing. In 2025, tech companies poured money into this field. The Trump administration also named quantum computing as a priority. But when will this technology actually deliver something useful for regular people? NPR's Katia Riddle reports on the difference between quantum hype and quantum reality.

KATIA RIDDLE, BYLINE: Tech companies like Google and Microsoft, as well as the U.S. government, bet big on quantum computing in 2025. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Google Quantum AI is unveiling the first demonstration of verifiable quantum advantage. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Joining forces on quantum computing. Explore the Josephson Junction, a pivotal component in quantum tech that employs quantum tunneling in superconducting circuits, promising a revolutionary future. Discover the thrilling world of AGI—where intelligent machines transform industries and our daily lives.

Join us on this innovative journey! Embrace the Future of Work: where AI and human creativity unite. Upskill, adapt, and thrive in a tech-driven landscape. Join us on this journey! Quantum Supremacy represents a pivotal milestone in the field of quantum computing. It refers to the point at which a quantum computer can perform a calculation that is practically impossible for even the most powerful classical supercomputers.

This concept is not just a theoretical milestone; it is a profound leap toward a future where complex problems in cryptography, drug discovery, material science, and optimization could be solved in seconds rather than... Traditional or classical computers operate using bits, which are binary values of 0 or 1. These bits form the fundamental unit of information, and everything from text processing to video rendering is computed through logical operations on these bits. Classical computers are incredibly efficient for many types of problems, but they hit a computational wall when confronted with problems that scale exponentially with size — such as factoring large prime numbers or simulating... Quantum computers utilize qubits, which differ fundamentally from bits. A qubit can exist in a state of 0, 1, or both simultaneously due to a principle known as superposition.

Furthermore, qubits can be entangled, meaning the state of one qubit is directly related to the state of another, no matter the distance between them. This allows quantum computers to perform a vast number of computations simultaneously. Quantum computing is not just faster; it is a different paradigm of computation altogether — one that taps into the probabilistic and parallel nature of quantum mechanics.

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In Quantum Computing, Quantum Supremacy Or Quantum Advantage Is The

In quantum computing, quantum supremacy or quantum advantage is the goal of demonstrating that a programmable quantum computer can solve a problem that no classical computer can solve in any feasible amount of time,... Conceptually, quantum supremacy involves both the engineering task of building a powerful quantum computer and the computational-complexity-theoretic task of finding a problem that ...

In 1936, Alan Turing Published His Paper, "On Computable Numbers",[18]

In 1936, Alan Turing published his paper, "On Computable Numbers",[18] in response to the 1900 Hilbert Problems. Turing's paper described what he called a "universal computing machine", which later became known as a Turing machine. In 1980, Paul Benioff used Turing's paper to propose the theoretical feasibility of Quantum Computing. His paper, "The Computer as a Physical System: A Microscopic Quan...

From The Punch Cards Of The 1940s To The Smartphones

From the punch cards of the 1940s to the smartphones in our pockets, we’ve ridden the exponential wave of Moore’s Law—a doubling of transistor density every two years. But even the most intricate silicon chip, packed with billions of transistors, is running up against the limits of physics. At the smallest scales, classical logic starts to wobble. Electrons tunnel through barriers. Heat becomes un...

Nature, It Turns Out, Doesn’t Run On Binary Alone. At

Nature, it turns out, doesn’t run on binary alone. At the subatomic level, reality doesn’t behave like a spreadsheet. It dances. It flickers between states. It interferes with itself. It gets entangled.

This Is The World Of Quantum Mechanics, And For Decades

This is the world of quantum mechanics, and for decades it has both bewildered and inspired physicists. But now, out of the cloud of equations and paradoxes, something tangible is emerging—a machine built not just to simulate nature, but to embody it. Quantum computing is not just a faster calculator. It’s an entirely new way of thinking, one that mirrors the deepest truths of the universe. And as...