Joe Fitzsimons Caring about Probabilities & Amplitudes in QC

“What if you were able to program a quantum computer in exactly the same way you program a traditional computer?” Joe Fitzsimons, CEO and founder of Horizon Quantum, opened with this thought-provoking question on the “Thinking On Paper Podcast & Book Club”, hinting at the profound potential of quantum computing. As we go deeper into the difficulties of quantum mechanics, it becomes clear that this emerging technology could change the way we process information.

Fitzsimons explained that while quantum mechanics is often perceived as strange, it is, in fact, “how the universe works at its lowest level.” He underlined that understanding quantum mechanics is crucial because it underpins the fundamental operations of a quantum computer. In this realm, instead of probabilities, we deal with amplitudes — mathematical constructs that describe the likelihood of various outcomes. 

“The reason you need to care about amplitudes is because they can interfere with each other,” said Fitzsimons, leading to outcomes that defy classical intuition.

One of the biggest challenges in quantum computing, according to Fitzsimons, is that “we don’t have intuition” for how quantum systems work. Unlike traditional computing, where our real-world experience with pen and paper calculations translates into programming logic, quantum computing requires an entirely different approach. 

“It’s not as strange as it’s made out to be in popular culture, but it requires a fundamental shift in how we think about computation,” he explained.

At Horizon Quantum, Fitzsimons and his team are working on making quantum computing more accessible. He acknowledges that while the quantum computers we have today are still limited, the field is advancing rapidly. 

“There are more than a thousand people that know quantum mechanics,” Fitzsimons made a point of, but fewer than a thousand are actively working on quantum algorithms — a number he believes will grow as the technology matures.

The potential impact of quantum computing is immense. Fitzsimons described the future of quantum computing as “another computing revolution,” comparable to the transition from no computers to the widespread use of classical computers. He sees quantum computers solving problems that are currently beyond our reach, such as complex optimization tasks, drug discovery and large-scale simulations. However, he is quick to note that we are still in the early stages: “Quantum computing is not useful today, but it’s getting better, and it’s getting better really quite fast.”

As the conversation wrapped up, Fitzsimons posed a final, intriguing question: “What are the applications and the surprising outcomes that no one is saying at this point?” He challenges us to be looking beyond what is obvious regarding quantum computing and to be imagining how this technology could unexpectedly shape the world, in exactly the way that the Internet has facilitated phenomena such as cat videos — in no way anticipated by the early stakeholders in computing. 

Fitzsimons’ thoughts demonstrate that although quantum computing might still have the status of a nascent technology, the level of disruption it could bring to industries and for our understanding of the universe would be enormous. But, in the likes of Fitzsimons, as researchers continue pushing the boundaries and increasing the reach of this field, it is realized that the revolution quantum computing brings about in the world is not if but how it will be.

Featured image: Credit: Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing