IBM quantum computer solves classically intractable problem in 15 minutes


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IBM and University of Chicago researchers have completed a quantum computation that leading classical methods could not practically reproduce. The system used 70 error-corrected logical qubits and finished the task in roughly 15 minutes while also providing statistical evidence that the result was reliable.
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"We are now firmly in the quantum advantage era," said Jay Gambetta, Director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow. "We have demonstrated a quantum computation beyond the practical reach of classical computers that establishes, with statistical confidence, a lower bound on how faithfully it was executed. This milestone gives scientists, developers, and businesses a new foundation for trusting quantum computers as they scale to problems far beyond what we can achieve classically."

 

IBM quantum computer solves classically intractable problem in 15 minutes
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But can it factor something useful.

 

IBM quantum computer solves classically intractable problem in 15 minutes
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So what was the computation they did?