IBM claims their quantum computers outperform classical ones

IBM and collaborators say their quantum computers outperform all known classical algorithms for three distinct tasks, but proving quantum advantage in an absolute sense is difficult. All three demonstrations simulate theoretical systems rather than real materials, making verification difficult. Despite limitations, experts agree that the demonstrations represent meaningful progress in building trust in quantum computing, even as commercial utility remains years away. Quantum computing researchers at IBM have announced three demonstrations that they say mark quantum advantage—evidence that quantum computers can outperform classical machines in certain tasks. The world around us is quantum in nature. This makes quantum computers especially promising for modeling it. While a classical computer can approximate how a material would behave or how a certain compound would react with another, experts say that a quantum computer should be able to pinpoint it exactly. For example, classical computational chemistry methods like density functional theory (DFT) must translate complex quantum behavior into equations that classical hardware can understand. As systems grow more complex, this translation becomes harder, forcing trade-offs in accuracy, speed, or cost. Quantum advantage promises a way to model these processes without compromise. "Chemistry is one of the most important long-term applications of quantum computing." "Chemistry…