Quantum computers, due to their probabilistic nature, can theoretically generate truly random numbers, unlike classical computers which can only produce pseudorandom numbers. This ability has been used by researchers Owen Root and Maria Becker from Nebraska Wesleyan University to develop a testing method for quantum computers. The method was applied to nine IBM Quantum Computer systems, with only one found to be statistically random. This highlights the potential of quantum computers but also indicates that further work is needed to fully realize this potential.
Quantum Computers and True Randomness
Quantum computers, due to their probabilistic nature, theoretically have the ability to generate statistically random numbers, unlike classical computers which can only generate pseudorandom numbers. This ability has various applications, including a method for testing the efficacy of quantum computers themselves. This article discusses a testing method developed by Owen Root and Maria Becker from the Department of Physics at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and its application on nine IBM Quantum Computer systems.
Quantum Computers vs Classical Computers
Quantum computers exploit the principles of quantum mechanics to enable the existence of quantum bit (qubit) based computers, which possess advantages over transistor bit-based classical computers. These quantum mechanical properties give quantum computers the ability to perform certain tasks on time scales that would be impossible for classical computers to accomplish in a similar time. A famous example of this is Shor’s Algorithm, which lets quantum computers factor numbers in polynomial time, something that classical computers can only do in exponential time.
Quantum Computers and Cryptography
The development of quantum computers has drawn attention to the field for its relevance to cryptography and cybersecurity. A primary form of computer security, RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) encryption, relies on the inability of classical computers to factor large numbers quickly. Shor’s Algorithm could allow a quantum computer to factor the large numbers necessary to break RSA encryption. For this reason and others, many entities, both private and public, are actively researching and developing quantum computers.
Quantum Random Number Generators
Quantum computers, due to their probabilistic nature, can operate as Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNGs), producing truly random numbers. This stands in contrast to the Random Number Generators (RNGs) operated by classical computers, which due to their deterministic nature, are only pseudorandom. RNGs have a significant role in classical computing where they are used in various applications such as cryptography, gambling, statistical sampling, computer simulation, and computer-based games.
Efficacy Testing Method for Quantum Computers
The efficacy testing method developed by Root and Becker operates by testing a quantum computer’s ability to act as a QRNG. The method is accomplished using statistical tests, which are algorithms developed to examine a data sequence for certain properties, in particular, detectable statistical patterns. The degree to which it passes or fails is also reported by the tests. The method applies a battery of different statistical tests and performs statistical tests on multiple QRNG outputs before a conclusion can be made about a particular source.
Results of the Efficacy Testing Method
The testing method was utilized to investigate the efficacy of nine IBM Quantum Computer systems using four different quantum random number generator algorithms and a battery of eighteen statistical tests. Only a single quantum computer-algorithm combination was found to be statistically random, demonstrating the power of the testing method as well as indicating that further work is needed for these computers to reach their theoretical potential.
In the article titled “Does True Randomness Exist? Efficacy Testing IBM Quantum Computers via Statistical Randomness”, authors Owen Root and M. Becker explore the concept of true randomness and its existence. The research, published on January 20, 2024, tests the efficacy of IBM Quantum Computers using statistical randomness. The article was sourced from arXiv, a repository of electronic preprints approved for publication after moderation, hosted by Cornell University.
https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2401.12250 – arXiv (Cornell University)