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Austin, TX, February 15, 2021 The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump came to an end on Saturday when 43 Senate Republicans voted to acquit Trump, blocking the 67 votes needed to convict him.

All 50 Democrats, joined by seven GOP senators, voted to find Trump guilty of inciting the storm of the Capitol on January 6.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) voted to acquit the former president just as they did a year ago after House Democrats impeached Trump on the basis that he allegedly withheld foreign aid to pressure Ukrainian officials into investigating the Biden family for corruption.

Cornyn and Cruz condemned the violence that took place at the Capitol and have said that those who participated in it should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The arguments of the House Impeachment Managers that the Constitution permits the impeachment of a private citizen, the free speech protections of the First Amendment dont apply, the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment is optional, and that the trial may include a presiding officer who also serves as a juror all were a bridge too far, said Cornyn.

But Texas senior senator said that his ultimate reason for opposing conviction was a concern about establishing a dangerous, and sure to be used in the future, precedent of impeaching a former President after he or she has left office.

This practice would, I fear, make impeachments a routine part of our political competition as a tool of the majority party to exact political revenge over the minority party. Given that the Constitution makes legal offenses committed while in office subject to investigation and prosecution, as warranted, after a President is no longer in office, I believe that is the Constitutional method of accountability not impeachment, said Cornyn.

While Cornyn focused his reasoning on the danger of setting a precedent of impeaching former presidents, Cruz was more pointed in his defense of Trump.

Donald Trump used heated language, but he did not urge anyone to commit acts of violence. The legal standard for incitement is very high and it is clear by the results of this vote that the House Managers failed to present a coherent standard for incitement, said Cruz.

The junior senator said that both sides of the political aisle, including numerous Senate Democrats and House Impeachment Managers, have used rhetoric similar to Trumps with phrases such as fight, win, and take back our country.

Using this rhetoric is not impeachable, whether made by Republicans or Democrats, said Cruz.

Unfortunately, this impeachment trial did nothing to bring the domestic terrorists who committed this heinous attack to justice. It merely satisfied Democrats desire to once again vent their hatred of Donald Trump and their contempt for the tens of millions of Americans who voted for him, said Cruz.

Similar to Cornyn and Cruz, when the House voted on the new article of impeachment in January, every Texas Republican member except for Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX-12), who was quarantining after a positive COVID-19 test, voted against impeachment.

Every Texas Democrat in the House of Representatives, like last year, voted to impeach Trump.

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Cornyn, Cruz Vote to Acquit Trump for a Second Time - The Texan

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA: A video has surfaced online showing a woman being confronted by police officers after she allegedly made a threatening social media post. The video shared on Reddits popular r/PublicFreakout page showed the woman identified as Angelique being confronted by Detective Horton from Palm Beach County, Florida after she allegedly claimed in a social media post that she would trespass and trash the property of a county commissioner.

After the cop arrived at the house of the woman, he asked her, You and some guy named Anthony were posting on social media that you were going to trespass on a country commissioner's property and dump trash on her property. Angelique reportedly first played dumb, but later pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid any legal proceeding. To which, Horton said, Alright, don't trespass; have a good night. However, the interaction did not end there as the woman continued defensively, So all this for that? This is just fearmongering of a citizen for nothing. She also asked for all the cops names and badge numbers. The woman then pointed towards a random woman who was near her property and accused her of trespassing. She even asked the officers to charge that woman.

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The officer then responded, We are not going to argue. The woman then insisted, I have a right to ask questions." "You pled the Fifth, remember?" the officer reminded her as he avoided her requests. The video attracted a lot of attention online with one Reddit user saying, Being stupid is one thing. But being stupid enough to post a video of your stupidity... Well that's just a whole new level of stupid. Stupid. Another person wrote, Karens do it all of the time because theyre really arrogant enough to believe they werent wrong and that everyone will agree with them. The third user added: There are few things more annoying than these people filming police/citizen encounters, know enough to know to invoke their 5th amendment, and then continue to talk like the morons they are. You see it often with the 1st amendment auditor idiots too.

I would also submit that this kind of bullshit overall damages attempts at actual police reform. There are people who film the police when they are actually abusing their power, outright breaking the law or engaging in police brutality and those instances should be filmed. Asshats like this erode the legitimacy of those instances by emboldening the common thin blue line narrative, a user mentioned in the comment section while the second one noted, She kept talking because her privilege was triggered lol. Karens always gotta have the last word.

Recently, in an unrelated incident, a video of a woman has gone viral that showed her getting dragged out of a bar by her hair after she allegedly refused to wear a mask. The alleged incident took place at the Chattanooga Billiard Club when a female bouncer manhandled the woman, identified as Bliss Causby, and threw her out of the bar. The woman shared her ordeal on Instagram, where she shared the video of the episode and wrote, Last weekend I went out to a bar after dinner to play pool with friends... I was standing next to my table drinking a beer and a lady security cop asked me to leave for not having on my mask... I questioned her and she became very aggressive and pushed me...I told her not to put her hands on me that I would leave and this happened.. she threw me down and dragged me across the bar on the floor like an animal..what this video taken by a bystander @barstoolmocs does not show is that she proceeded to punch me in the face and head and kick me..."

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Florida woman confronts cops who warned her after she threatened to dump trash on county commissioner's proper - MEAWW

DUBLIN, Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Quantum Computing Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Offering (Systems, Services), Deployment (On Premises, Cloud-based), Application, Technology, End-use Industry and Region - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Quantum Computing Market is expected to grow from USD 472 million in 2021 to USD 1,765 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 30.2%.

The early adoption of quantum computing in the banking and finance sector is expected to fuel the growth of the market globally. Other key factors contributing to the growth of the quantum computing market include rising investments by governments of different countries to carry out research and development activities related to quantum computing technology.

Several companies are focusing on the adoption of QCaaS post-COVID-19. This, in turn, is expected to contribute to the growth of the quantum computing market. However, stability and error correction issues is expected to restrain the growth of the market.

Services segment is attributed to hold the largest share of the Quantum Computing market

The growth of services segment can be attributed to the increasing number of startups across the world that are investing in research and development activities related to quantum computing technology. This technology is used in optimization, simulation, and machine learning applications, thereby leading to optimum utilization costs and highly efficient operations in various end-use industries.

Cloud-based deployment to witness the highest growth in Quantum Computing market in coming years

With the development of highly powerful systems, the demand for cloud-based deployment of quantum computing systems and services is expected to increase. This, in turn, is expected to result in a significant revenue source for service providers, with users paying for access to noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) systems that can solve real-world problems. The limited lifespan of rapidly advancing quantum computing systems also favors cloud service providers. The flexibility of access offered to users is another factor fueling the adoption of cloud-based deployment of quantum computing systems and services. For the foreseeable future, quantum computers are expected not to be portable. Cloud can provide users with access to different devices and simulators from their laptops.

Optimization accounted for a major share of the overall Quantum Computing market

Optimization is the largest application for quantum computing and accounted for a major share of the overall Quantum Computing market. Companies such as D-Wave Systems, Cambridge Quantum Computing, QC Ware, and 1QB Information Technologies are developing quantum computing systems for optimization applications. Networked Quantum Information Technologies Hub (NQIT) is expanding to incorporate optimization solutions for resolving problems faced by the practical applications of quantum computing technology.

Trapped ions segment to witness highest CAGR of Quantum Computing market during the forecast period

The trapped ions segment of the market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period as quantum computing systems based on trapped ions offer more stability and better connectivity than quantum computing systems based on other technologies. IonQ, Alpine Quantum Technologies, and Honeywell are a few companies that use trapped ions technology in their quantum computing systems.

Banking and finance is attributed to hold major share of Quantum Computing market during the forecast period

In the banking and finance end-use industry, quantum computing is used for risk modeling and trading applications. It is also used to detect the market instabilities by identifying stock market risks and optimize the trading trajectories, portfolios, and asset pricing and hedging. As the financial sector is difficult to understand; the quantum computing approach is expected to help users understand the complexities of the banking and finance end-use industry. Moreover, it can help traders by suggesting them solutions to overcome financial challenges.

APAC to witness highest growth of Quantum Computing market during the forecast period

APAC region is a leading hub for several industries, including healthcare and pharmaceuticals, banking and finance, and chemicals. Countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea are the leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, including smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles, in APAC. There is a requirement to resolve complications in optimization, simulation, and machine learning applications across these industries. The large-scale development witnessed by emerging economies of APAC and the increased use of advanced technologies in the manufacturing sector are contributing to the development of large and medium enterprises in the region. This, in turn, is fueling the demand for quantum computing services and systems in APAC.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights4.1 Attractive Opportunities in Quantum Computing Market4.2 Market, by Offering4.3 Market, by Deployment4.4 Market in APAC, by Application and Country4.5 Market, by Technology4.6 Quantum Computing Market, by End-use Industry4.7 Market, by Region

5 Market Overview5.1 Introduction5.2 Market Dynamics5.2.1 Drivers5.2.1.1 Early Adoption of Quantum Computing in Banking and Finance Industry5.2.1.2 Rise in Investments in Quantum Computing Technology5.2.1.3 Surge in Number of Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations to Carry Out Advancements in Quantum Computing Technology5.2.2 Restraints5.2.2.1 Stability and Error Correction Issues5.2.3 Opportunities5.2.3.1 Technological Advancements in Quantum Computing5.2.3.2 Surge in Adoption of Quantum Computing Technology for Drug Discovery5.2.4 Challenges5.2.4.1 Dearth of Highly Skilled Professionals5.2.4.2 Physical Challenges Related to Use of Quantum Computers5.3 Value Chain Analysis5.4 Ecosystem5.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis5.6 Pricing Analysis5.7 Impact of COVID-19 on Quantum Computing Market5.7.1 Pre-COVID-195.7.2 Post-COVID-195.8 Trade Analysis5.9 Tariff and Regulatory Standards5.9.1 Regulatory Standards5.9.1.1 P1913 - Software-Defined Quantum Communication5.9.1.2 P7130 - Standard for Quantum Technologies Definitions5.9.1.3 P7131 - Standard for Quantum Computing Performance Metrics and Benchmarking5.10 Technology Analysis5.11 Patent Analysis5.12 Case Studies

6 Quantum Computing Market, by Offering6.1 Introduction6.2 Systems6.2.1 Deployment of on Premises Quantum Computers at Sites of Clients6.3 Services6.3.1 Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS)6.3.1.1 Risen Number of Companies Offering QCaaS Owing to Increasing Demand for Cloud-Based Systems and Services6.3.2 Consulting Services6.3.2.1 Consulting Services Provide Customized Roadmaps to Clients to Help Them in Adoption of Quantum Computing Technology

7 Quantum Computing Market, by Deployment7.1 Introduction7.2 on Premises7.2.1 Deployment of on Premises Quantum Computers by Organizations to Ensure Data Security7.3 Cloud-based7.3.1 High Costs and Deep Complexity of Quantum Computing Systems and Services Drive Enterprises Toward Cloud Deployments

8 Quantum Computing Market, by Application8.1 Introduction8.2 Optimization8.2.1 Optimization Using Quantum Computing Technology Resolves Problems in Real-World Settings8.3 Machine Learning8.3.1 Risen Use of Machine Learning in Various End-use Industries8.4 Simulation8.4.1 Simulation Helps Scientists Gain Improved Understanding of Molecule and Sub-Molecule Level Interactions8.5 Others

9 Quantum Computing Market, by Technology9.1 Introduction9.2 Superconducting Qubits9.2.1 Existence of Superconducting Qubits in Series of Quantized Energy States9.3 Trapped Ions9.3.1 Surged Use of Trapped Ions Technology in Quantum Computers9.4 Quantum Annealing9.4.1 Risen Use of Quantum Annealing Technology for Solving Optimization Problems in Enterprises9.5 Others (Topological and Photonic)

10 Quantum Computing Market, by End-use Industry10.1 Introduction10.2 Space and Defense10.2.1 Risen Use of Quantum Computing in Space and Defense Industry to Perform Multiple Operations Simultaneously10.3 Banking and Finance10.3.1 Simulation Offers Assistance for Investment Risk Analysis and Decision-Making Process in Banking and Finance Industry10.4 Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals10.4.1 Surged Demand for Robust and Agile Computing Technology for Drug Simulation in Efficient and Timely Manner10.5 Energy and Power10.5.1 Increased Requirement to Develop New Energy Sources and Optimize Energy Delivery Process10.6 Chemicals10.6.1 Establishment of North America and Europe as Lucrative Markets for Chemicals10.7 Transportation and Logistics10.7.1 Surged Use of Quantum-Inspired Approaches to Optimize Traffic Flow10.8 Government10.8.1 Increased Number of Opportunities to Use Quantum Computing to Solve Practical Problems of Climate Change, Traffic Management, Etc.10.9 Academia10.9.1 Risen Number of Integrated Fundamental Quantum Information Science Research Activities to Fuel Market Growth

11 Geographic Analysis11.1 Introduction11.2 North America11.3 Europe11.4 APAC11.5 RoW

12 Competitive Landscape12.1 Introduction12.2 Revenue Analysis of Top Players12.3 Market Share Analysis, 201912.4 Ranking Analysis of Key Players in Market12.5 Company Evaluation Quadrant12.5.1 Quantum Computing Market12.5.1.1 Star12.5.1.2 Emerging Leader12.5.1.3 Pervasive12.5.1.4 Participant12.5.2 Startup/SME Evaluation Matrix12.5.2.1 Progressive Company12.5.2.2 Responsive Company12.5.2.3 Dynamic Company12.5.2.4 Starting Block12.6 Competitive Scenario12.7 Competitive Situations and Trends12.7.1 Other Strategies

13 Company Profiles13.1 Key Players13.1.1 International Business Machines (IBM)13.1.2 D-Wave Systems13.1.3 Microsoft13.1.4 Amazon13.1.5 Rigetti Computing13.1.6 Google13.1.7 Intel13.1.8 Toshiba13.1.9 Honeywell International13.1.10 QC Ware13.1.11 1QB Information Technologies13.1.12 Cambridge Quantum Computing13.20 Other Companies13.2.1 Huawei Technologies13.2.2 Bosch13.2.3 NEC13.2.4 Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP)13.2.5 Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT)13.2.6 Hitachi13.2.7 Northrop Grumman13.2.8 Accenture13.2.9 Fujitsu13.2.10 Quantica Computacao13.2.11 Zapata Computing13.2.12 Xanadu13.2.13 IonQ13.2.14 Riverlane13.2.15 Quantum Circuits13.2.16 EvolutionQ13.2.17 ABDProf13.2.18 Anyon Systems

14 Appendix14.1 Discussion Guide14.2 Knowledge Store: The Subscription Portal14.3 Available Customizations

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8pglda

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [emailprotected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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The Worldwide Quantum Computing Industry is Expected to Reach $1.7 Billion by 2026 - PRNewswire

The promise of quantum computers is that certain computational tasks might be executed exponentially faster on a quantum processor than on a classical processor.

Quantum computing is a beautiful fusion of quantum physics with computer science. It incorporates some of the most stunning ideas of physics from the twentieth century into an entirely new way of thinking about computation. Quantum computers have the potential to resolve problems of a high complexity and magnitude across many different industries and application, including finance, transportation, chemicals, and cybersecurity. Solving the impossible in a few hours of computing time.

Quantum computing is often in the news: China teleported a qubit from earth to a satellite; Shors algorithm has put our current encryption methods at risk; quantum key distribution will make encryption safe again; Grovers algorithm will speed up data searches. But what does all this really mean? How does it all work?

Todays computers operate in a very straightforward fashion: they manipulate a limited set of data with an algorithm and give you an answer. Quantum computers are more complicated. After multiple units of data are input into qubits, the qubits are manipulated to interact with other qubits, allowing for several calculations to be done simultaneously. Thats where quantum computers are a lot faster than todays machines.

Quantum computers have four fundamental capabilities that differentiate them from todays classical computers:

All computations involve inputting data, manipulating it according to certain rules, and then outputting the final answer. For classical computations, the bit is the basic unit of data. For quantum computation, this unit is the quantum bit usually shortened to qubit.

The basic unit of quantum computing is a qubit. A classical bit is either 0 or 1. If its 0 and we measure it, we get 0. If its 1 and we measure 1, we get 1. In both cases the bit remains unchanged. The standard example is an electrical switch that can be either on or off. The situation is totally different for qubits. Qubits are volatile. A qubit can be in one of an infinite number of states a superposition of both 0 and 1 but when we measure it, as in the classical case, we just get one of two values, either 0 or 1. Qubits can also become entangled. In fact, the act of measurement changes the qubit. When we make a measurement of one of them, it affects the state of the other. Whats more, they interact with other qubits. In fact, these interactions are what make it possible to conduct multiple calculations at once.

Nobody really knows quite how or why entanglement works. It even baffled Einstein, who famously described it as spooky action at a distance. But its key to the power of quantum computers. In a conventional computer, doubling the number of bits doubles its processing power. But thanks to entanglement, adding extra qubits to a quantum machine produces an exponential increase in its number-crunching ability.

These three things superposition, measurement, and entanglement are the key quantum mechanical ideas. Controlling these interactions, however, is very complicated. The volatility of qubits can cause inputs to be lost or altered, which can throw off the accuracy of results. And creating a computer of meaningful scale would require hundreds of thousands of millions of qubits to be connected coherently. The few quantum computers that exist today can handle nowhere near that number. But the good news is were getting very, very close.

Quantum computing and classical computer are not two distinct disciplines. Quantum computing is the more fundamental form of computing anything that can be computed classically can be computed on a quantum computer. The qubit is the basic unit of computation, not the bit. Computation, in its essence, really means quantum computing. A qubit can be represented by the spin of an electron or the polarization of a photon.

In 2019 Google achieved a level of quantum supremacy when they reported the use of a processor with programmable superconducting qubits to create quantum states on 54 qubits, corresponding to a computational state-space of dimension 253(about 1016). This incredible achievement was slightly short of their mission goal for creating quantum states of 72 qubits. What is so special about this number? Classical computers can simulate quantum computers if the quantum computer doesnt have too many qubits, but as the number of qubits increases we reach the point where that is no longer possible.

There are 8 possible three-bit combinations: 000,001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, 111. The number 8 comes from 23. There are two choices for the first bit, two for the second and two for the third, and we might multiple these three 2s together. If instead of bits we switch to qubits, each of these 8 three-bit strings is associated with a basis vector, so the vector space is 8-dimensional. If we have 72 qubits, the number of basis elements is 2. This is about 4,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. It is a large number and is considered to be the point at which classical computers cannot simulate quantum computers. Once quantum computers have more than 72 or so qubits we truly enter the age of quantum supremacy when quantum computers can do computations that are beyond the ability of any classical computer.

To provide a little more perspective, lets consider a machine with 300 qubits. This doesnt seem an unreasonable number of the not too distant future. But 2300 is an enormous number. Its more than the number of elementary particles in the known universe. A computation using 300 qubits would be working with 2300 basis elements.

Some calculations required for the effective simulation of real-life scenarios are simply beyond the capability of classical computers whats known as intractable problems. Quantum computers, with their huge computational power, are ideally suited to solving these problems. Indeed, some problems, like factoring, are hard on a classical computer, but are easy on a quantum computer. This creates a world of opportunities, across almost every aspect of modern life.

Healthcare: classical computers are limited in terms of size and complexity of molecules they can simulate and compare (an essential process of early drug development). Quantum computers will allow much larger molecules to be simulated. At the same time, researchers will be able to model and simulate interactions between drugs and all 20,000+ proteins encoded in the human genome, leading to greater advancements in pharmacology.

Finance: one potential application is algorithmic trading using complex algorithms to automatically trigger share dealings based on a wide variety of market variables. The advantages, especially for high-volume transactions, are significant. Another application is fraud detection. Like diagnostics in healthcare, fraud detection is reliant upon pattern recognition. Quantum computers could deliver a significant improvement in machine learning capabilities; dramatically reducing the time taken to train a neural network and improving the detection rate.

Logistics: Improved data analysis and modelling will enable a wide range of industries to optimize workflows associated with transport, logistics and supply-chain management. The calculation and recalculation of optimal routes could impact on applications as diverse as traffic management, fleet operations, air traffic control, freight and distribution.

It is, of course, impossible to predict the long-term impact of quantum computing with any accuracy. Quantum computing is now in its infancy, and the comparison to the first computers seems apt. The machines that have been constructed so far tend to be large and not very powerful, and they often involve superconductors that need cooled to extremely low temperatures. To minimize the interaction of quantum computers with the environment, they are always protected from light and heat. They are shieled against electromagnetic radiation, and they are cooled. One thing that can happen in cold places is that certain materials become superconductors they lose all electrical resistance and superconductors have quantum properties that can be exploited.

Many countries are experimenting with small quantum networks using optic fiber. There is the potential of connecting these via satellite and being able to form a worldwide quantum network. This work is of great interest to financial institutions. One early impressive result involves a Chinese satellite that is devoted to quantum experiments. Its named Micius after a Chinese philosopher who did work in optics. A team in China connected to a team in Austria the first time that intercontinental quantum key distribution (QKD) had been achieved. Once the connection was secured, the teams sent pictures to one another. The Chinese team sent the Austrians a picture of Micius, and the Austrians sent a picture of Schrodinger to the Chinese.

To actually make practical quantum computers you need to solve a number of problems, the most serious being decoherence the problem of your qubit interacting with something from the environment that is not part of the computation. You need to set a qubit to an initial state and keep it in that state until you need to use it. Their quantum state is extremely fragile. The slightest vibration or change in temperature disturbances known as noise in quantum-speak can cause them to tumble out of superposition before their job has been properly done. Thats why researchers are doing the best to protect qubits from the outside world in supercooled fridges and vacuum chambers.

Alan Turing is one of the fathers of the theory of computation. In his landmark paper of 1936 he carefully thought about computation. He considered what humans did as they performed computations and broke it down to its most elemental level. He showed that a simple theoretical machine, which we now call a Turing machine, could carry out any algorithm. But remember, Turing was analyzing computation based on what humans do. With quantum computation the focus changes from how humans compute to how the universe computes. Therefore, we should think of quantum computation as not a new type of computation but as the discovery of the true nature of computation.

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Kangaroo Court: Quantum Computing Thinking on the Future - JD Supra

Research teams from energy giant ExxonMobil and IBM have been working together to find quantum solutions to one of the most complex problems of our time: managing the tens of thousands of merchant ships crossing the oceans to deliver the goods that we use every day.

The scientists lifted the lid on the progress that they have made so far and presented the different strategies that they have been using to model maritime routing on existing quantum devices, with the ultimate goal of optimizing the management of fleets.

ExxonMobil was the first energy company to join IBM's Quantum Network in 2019, and has expressed a keen interest in using the technology to explore various applications, ranging from the simulation of new materials to solving optimization problems.

SEE: Research: Why Industrial IoT deployments are on the rise (TechRepublic Premium)

Now, it appears that part of the energy company's work was dedicated to tapping quantum capabilities to calculate journeys that minimize the distance and time traveled by merchant ships across the globe.

On a worldwide scale, the equation is immense intractable, in fact, for classical computers. About 90% of world trade relies on maritime shipping, with more than 50,000 ships, themselves carrying up to 200,000 containers each, moving around every day to transport goods with a total value of $14 trillion.

The more the number of ships and journeys increase, the bigger the problem becomes. As IBM and ExxonMobil's teams put itin a blog post detailing their research: "Logistically speaking, this isn't the 'traveling salesperson problem.'"

While this type of exponentially growing problem can only be solved with simplifications and approximations on classical computers, the challenge is well-suited to quantum technologies. Quantum computers can effectively leverage a special dual state that is taken on by quantum bits, or qubits, to run many calculations at once; meaning that even the largest problems could be resolved in much less time than is possible on a classical computer.

"We wanted to see whether quantum computers could transform how we solve such complex optimization problems and provide more accurate solutions in less computational times," said the researchers.

Although the theory behind the potential of quantum computing is well-established, it remains to be found how quantum devices can be used in practice to solve a real-world problem such as the global routing of merchant ships. In mathematical terms, this means finding the right quantum algorithms that could be used to most effectively model the industry's routing problems, on current or near-term devices.

To do so, IBM and ExxonMobil's teams started with widely-used mathematical representations of the problem, which account for factors such as the routes traveled, the potential movements between port locations and the order in which each location is visited on a particular route. There are many existing ways to formulate the equation, one of which is called the quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) technique, and which is often used in classical computer science.

The next question was to find out whether well-known models like QUBO can be solved with quantum algorithms and if so, which solvers work better. Using IBM's Qiskit optimization module, which was released last year toassist developers in building quantum optimization algorithms, the team tested various quantum algorithms labeled with unbeatably exotic names: the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE), the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA), and Alternating Direction Method of Multiplier (ADMM) solvers.

After running the algorithms on a simulated quantum device, the researchers found that models like QUBO could effectively be solved by quantum algorithms, and that depending on the size of the problem, some solvers showed better results than others.

In another promising finding, the team said that the experiment showed some degree of inexactness in solving QUBOs is tolerable. "This is a promising feature to handle the inherent noise affecting the quantum algorithms on real devices," said the researchers.

SEE: BMW explores quantum computing to boost supply chain efficiencies

Of course, while the results suggest that quantum algorithms could provide real-world value, the research was carried out on devices that are still technically limited, and the experiments can only remain small-scale. The idea, however, is to develop working algorithms now, to be ready to harness the power of a fully fledged quantum computer when the technology develops.

"As a result of our joint research, ExxonMobil now has a greater understanding of the modelling possibilities, quantum solvers available, and potential alternatives for routing problems in any industry," said the researchers.

What applies to merchant ships, in effect, can also work in other settings. Routing problems are not inherent to the shipping industry, and the scientists confirmed that their findings could easily be transferred to any vehicle optimization problem that has time constraints, such as goods delivery, ride-sharing services or urban waste management.

In fact, ExxonMobil is not the first company to look at ways to use quantum computing techniques to solve optimization problems. Electronics manufacturer OTI Lumionics, for example, has been using QUBO representations to find the most optimal simulation of next-generation OLED materials. Instead of using gate-based quantum computers to run the problem, however, the company has been developing quantum-inspired algorithms to solve calculations on classical Microsoft Azure hardware,with encouraging results.

The mathematical formulas and solution algorithmsare described in detail in the research paper, and the ExxonMobil/IBM team stressed that their use is not restricted. The researchers encouraged their colleagues to reproduce their findings to advance the global field of quantum solvers.

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IBM and ExxonMobil are building quantum algorithms to solve this giant computing problem - ZDNet