My Area of Interest - Week 11/12

Areas of Possible Interest

Well, now that we are turning our area of interest into an idea I have realized that my area of interest is not aligning with the type of project/career path I want to embark on so I need to replace my idea of quantum computing with something more practical ... At least this is what I thought until I did some research into possible undergraduate quantum computing projects which provided me with some inspiration, there are multiple applications that can be created with the implementation of simulating and/or visualizing quantum computing on a regular laptop or desktop PC. The display of Shor's algorithm plays a big part in this.

1.  Broad Research/Project Interest Area

Area of Interest: Quantum Computing

(“How Quantum Computers Work,” 2000)

Why is it interesting to me

Quantum computing is of great interest to me because of the passion I have for the forefront of human scientific knowledge whether it is on a large scale (astrophysics) or small scale (quantum physics). In this area of interest, I have found a way to merge this passion with IT which I think is a rather fortunate opportunity. Quantum computing exists are a rational solution to some of the technological bottlenecks introduced by traditional computing, I went into these type of problems that traditional computing cannot currently solve in my Assignment 2 Paper.

Given the futuristic possibilities and practical applications of the solutions that quantum computing can provide I have found it to be a worthy project focus.

Three things that I know about it

1. That it can be used to solve problems that our current computing technology is not capable of.
2. It uses the ability to store information in quantum states and relies on the probability of what state a quantum particle will be in when observed, so it is not definite. Error correction is required.
3. The application of the NP-hard problems made solvable by quantum computing has the ability to revolutionalize our economic and scientific systems.

Three things that I believe about it

1. I believe that it is essential to our future progression as a species, as our planet-wide population grows we are faced with problems of increased complexity that required a computational system of immense power to discern the optimal path for us to take forward.
2. It will not replace traditional computers quickly, if ever. Quantum computing is slightly niche in that it excels in solving particular algorithmic problems but when applied to everyday uses it does not provide a significant benefit.
3. The first nations to master the capabilities of Quantum computing will experience significant technological leaps ahead of competing nations.

Three things that I don't know about it

1. Scientific specifics as to how the technology actually works, I have been through material that explains the technicalities but I still lack the depth to provide an accurate explanation as to how we store and read the information on a quantum level.
2. How close we are to producing a quantum computer that can be applied.
3. Complications, what lies between us and producing/deploying this technology currently.

Would I rather research or create something? Or both?

I would certainly rather create something as it tickles my passion for solving problems. I prefer a more practical approach, I like to learn by doing as well as researching.

Area of Interest resources

Chen, F. (2016, June 27). Quantum Computing: A Primer. Retrieved May 24, 2019, from Software Is Eating the World website: https://medium.com/software-is-eating-the-world/quantum-computing-a-primer-580bc4160481

Coogan, J. (2019a). Repo of resources to help learn about quantum computing.: JohnCoogan/learnquantum. Retrieved from https://github.com/JohnCoogan/learnquantum (Original work published 2017)

Coogan, J. (2019b). Repo of resources to help learn about quantum computing.: JohnCoogan/learnquantum. Retrieved from https://github.com/JohnCoogan/learnquantum (Original work published 2017)

Diamandis, P. (2016, October 10). Massive Disruption — Quantum Computing. Retrieved May 24, 2019, from ABUNDANCE INSIGHTS website: https://medium.com/abundance-insights/massive-disruption-quantum-computing-ee561c5c635f

Hervey, A. (2017, May 17). Quantum Computing for the Mildly Curious. Retrieved May 24, 2019, from Future Crunch website: https://medium.com/future-crunch/quantum-computing-for-the-mildly-curious-2474c92c1f05

2. Identifying a possible project

a. Construct 10 questions about your topic

1. What is a quantum computer? Basic definition, but technically robust and free of hype or vagueness.
2. How is quantum computing distinct from traditional digital computing?
3. What can a quantum computer do better than a traditional digital computer?
4. Is speed the only truly significant advantage of a quantum computer?
5. Do quantum and traditional digital computers have more in common or more that differentiates them from each other?
6. How does a quantum computer handle analog to digital and digital to analog conversions?
7. What operations can a quantum computer perform compared to operations that a traditional digital computer can perform?
8. Where can the implementation of quantum computing technology lead us in terms of technological advancement?
9. How does Shor's algorithm work and why is it used in quantum computing?
10. Can a quantum computer compute values which cannot be comprehended by a human being?

b. Identify three good questions/ideas

1. What is a quantum computer? Basic definition, but technically robust and free of hype or vagueness. Underlying fundamental goal: To gain an understanding of what a quantum computer is, defining how it works which in turn help differentiate it from other types of computers. To answer this question we can attempt to use some sort of report in order to explain in detail what a quantum computer is, I believe it would be more helpful though to have some text explanation followed by a visual representation of how a quantum computer operated, this helps visual learners comprehend the inner workings of a quantum processor. To achieve this I could build a program that visually simulates shors algorithm in action.
2. What can a quantum computer do better than a traditional digital computer? Underlying fundamental goal: To further advance the understanding of how a quantum computer differentiates from traditional computing by understanding what a quantum computer can do better. A good way to answer this would be to define and show what basic operations quantum computers do better and what traditional computing still does better. Following this, it would be helpful to show what problems quantum computing
3. How does Shor's algorithm work and why is it used in quantum computing? Underlying fundamental goal: To understand how Shor's algorithm contributes to quantum computing.
   
   This is a more focused approach than my previous questions, answering this would require a focused understanding of how Shor's algorithm works & then expanding into how it is applied in quantum computing. Shor's algorithm can also be shown in a visual representation that would be built by a relatively competent developer.

3. Making a choice

Question Chosen: How does Shor's algorithm work and why is it used in quantum computing?

Project Title: Exploring Shor's algorithm in quantum computing

To explore Shor's algorithm as a project I would require an understanding of the algorithm and how it relates to quantum computing. Following this, I could write the beginning of a research report detailing the underlying concepts needed to understand my visual representation. Then in this report, I can explain my (non-original) idea to show Shor's algorithm in action via a simulation program written in Java or C#.

The core of the project would be first gaining an understanding of quantum computing and Shor's algorithm to the point where I can recreate a simulation of it myself in order to help explain the concept to others.

4. Ethical Issues

What ethical issues might there be in my proposal?

• Using other peoples research without citing it
• Using imagery without citing it
• Ensuring that I don't spread incorrect information

References

How Quantum Computers Work. (2000, December 8). Retrieved May 17, 2019, from HowStuffWorks website: https://computer.howstuffworks.com/quantum-computer.htm

In Class Notes 10/5/2019

Our focus has now moved onto Assignment 3: Project Proposal, I'm not sure where assignment two went but maybe being in China for a month has lagged me a bit behind. 

Assignment 3 is meant to be in the form of a localized 'peer review' document, where we may assess each other's proposals and give feedback to each other. After Lars has finished his lecture I need to approach him with the work I have completed and discern where I need to fill in some gaps. 

Lars has told the class about some opportunities for work placements that I am considering applying for, two of them involve database work which is of interest to me as it is related to full stack development. Another involved the production of a somewhat 'lightweight' moodle, this is currently being done by a student although it appears that he wants someone else to help him in this endeavour. Two web development companies are also looking for interns as well.

In Class Notes 17/5/2019

In Today's class, we have guest speakers presenting to us regarding some potential student projects that could spark our interest. I may or may not embark on one of these opportunities as I have many options regarding project options. Following the presentation, I was pleased to see they can offer a wide variety of project ideas coming from different aspects of IT. Within this range of ideas, I found an app development options which has intrigued me the most. At this current moment, I need to cut down my options so that I can decide on the most viable option for my desired career path.

In Class Notes 24/5/2019

Today Lars remembered that there is another topic it would be helpful for us to cover, this being copyrights which is something unexplored in our degree structure so far but it is very applicable to a variety of the work we could end up in. Before going into copyrights we will have a lesson on ethics which is designed to lead smoothly into copyrights/creative commons.

Revision

We went through some revision steps to remind us of some of the topics we have covered

Research paradigms

• classic scientific paradigm
• social science paradigm
• post-modernist movement
• critical realism

The following talk went into more detail regarding the nature of how to produce our Assessment 3 in which I felt Lars undersold the ability of the classic scientific paradigm by dismissing many people who use this paradigm in this day an age as not having an understanding of their own epistemology/ontology, perhaps I misunderstood but I think there is a place for empirical evidence that has been applied in a classical paradigm style, especially within IT wherein a lot of research that may be approached can not reply on post-modernistic or social scientific points of view, it has to logically work with empirical evidence of this or not. I remain cautious of scientific methods that don't rely on real-world empirical facts.

Perhaps I missed the point though.