IBM’s new Qiskit primitives make it easier to develop algorithms for quantum computers
Big Blue has emerged as quantum computing’s clear front-runner
What is it?
As the company put it in a recentblog post:
And the new primitives take that a step further by making Qiskit even more accessible to algorithm developers.
Dubbed “Sampler” and “Estimator,” the two new primitives essentially containerize many of the necessary steps in order to streamline the quantum computing stack for devs.
IBM’s Quantum Platform Lead, Blake Johnson, and Tushar Mittal, Senior Quantum Product Manager at IBM, told Neural:
As for what, exactly, they do… that’s a bit more complex. And it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. The whole point of quantum computing is to make things faster.
But qubits — the quantum equivalent of a computer bit — aren’t smart. They don’t know what problem you’re trying to solve. And there are no apps for quantum computers.
This means developers at the cutting-edge have to program circuits and reconfigure servers every time they want to try something.
However, there are numerous problems that can be reduced to simple starting points called primitives.
Sampler and Estimator pretty much do what they’re called, but they accomplish sampling and estimation through the use of both classical and quantum computing.
According to Johnson and Mittal:
Why does it matter?
Quantum computers are stillmostlyexperimental. Sure, IBM is solving problems today with its cloud-accessed quantum computing systems and there are a handful ofother companies offering quantum-based solutionsto clients right now.
But, for the most part, the physicists, engineers, and developers working at the cutting-edge of quantum computing are inventing as they go.
Eventually, IBM wants its clients to decide what problems are important and how the company should go about implementing quantum-based solutions.
But the huge disconnect between the quantum physicists operating the machines in the laboratories and the average computer specialists building algorithms for businesses makes it incredibly difficult for laypersons to access quantum solutions.
Qiskit Runtime and these new primitives are a monumental step in the right direction.You can build the best spaceship in the world, but if nobody can pilot it or understand its navigation systems: it’s useless.Qiskit Runtime primitives are, essentially, the pilot’s manual.
That’s why these baby steps are so important. The fact that IBM’s in a position to need these quantum primitives is the biggest tell-tale sign of its market position we’ve seen — and it already boasts a whopping 400,000 users in its quantum ecosystem.
What’s next?
IBM is the clear front-runner in the quantum computing race. It’s already in the market, keeping pace with academia and other big tech outlets, and innovating at the forward-most edge of hybrid quantum-classical computing.
But Big Blue is far from content to rest on its laurels. A quick gander at the company’squantum roadmaptells you everything you need to know about where its ambitions lie.
Perhaps the most notable entry above is the upcoming launch of the “Osprey” chip. At 433 qubits, it’ll become the world’s largest quantum chip when it launches. And the company plans to more than double that next year.
If IBM can make good on the items in this roadmap, its competitors will be hard-pressed to catch up.
You can argue whether Google, Microsoft, D-Wave, or a dark horse candidate is in second place. But there’s no debate that IBM is winning the quantum computing race in 2022.
Update 8:53 4/12:IBM provided us with an updated version of its quantum roadmap, replaced original image with new one.
Story byTristan Greene
Tristan is a futurist covering human-centric artificial intelligence advances, quantum computing, STEM, physics, and space stuff. Pronouns:(show all)Tristan is a futurist covering human-centric artificial intelligence advances, quantum computing, STEM, physics, and space stuff. Pronouns: He/him
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