It seems likely that large-scale quantum computers outperforming classical computers will be realized on earth during the 21st century.
Will they be topological quantum computers whose hardware is intrinsically resistant to decoherence, or fault-tolerant "garden-variety" quantum computers that use clever algorithm design to overcome the deficiencies of the hardware? The answer is unclear, because both concepts have advantages and drawbacks (and perhaps the right answer is that both will be incorporated into successful quantum computer architectures). I will review some recent developments that have strengthened the case for robust garden-variety quantum computation, and I will discuss some of the remaining open questions.
Audio (MP3 File, Podcast Ready)
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