QACTI Applications Town Hall

The QACTI town hall on Exploring the Application Space for Quantum Advantage was held at Tufts University and included researchers from around the country involved in applications of quantum computing including quantum simulation and  quantum machine learning.  Discussion focused on applications of a 100-qubit machine with 10^-6 error rates, a so-called mega-quop scale machine. Attendees discussed applications which promise advantage in the very long term, unconstrained by particular hardware parameters, and then were asked to focus on the 100-qubit scale relevant for this NVQL. The applications discussions broke into three subareas: 1) Quantum simulation for quantum chemistry 2) Quantum simulation for nuclear and high energy physics and 3) Quantum Machine Learning. Attendees were also asked to identify risks and key technical challenges that need to be solved to achieve the NQVL goals through an unconference format suited to large group discussions. 

On the second day participants focussed on mechanisms to make and validate claims of quantum advantages in a scientifically rigorous and clear way. This is challenging given the inherently adversarial nature of a claim of quantum advantage, requiring comparisons between the state of the art in both quantum and classical computation. Participants discussed the utility of benchmark lists of problem instances in each application area, problem competitions such as the SAT competitions for constrained satisfaction problems, and other approaches.

For the town hall agenda and participant list, see the QACTI Applications Town Hall overview.