A quantum computer is very similar to a classical computer, with one key difference: it takes full advantage of the laws of quantum mechanics. The heart of quantum mechanics is the concept of amplitudes. An amplitude is a new kind of number, related to but distinct from an ordinary probability. Amplitudes can be positive, negative, or even complex numbers.
Scott Aaronson — A quantum computer is very similar to a classical computer,
A quantum computer is very similar to a classical computer, with one key difference: it takes full advantage of the laws of quantum mechanics. The heart of quantum mechanics is the concept of amplitudes. An amplitude is a new kind…