1. Quantum computing: achievable reality or unrealistic dream
American Physical Society
Racah Institute of Physics
Workshop IV 
Quantum computing: achievable reality or unrealistic dream
January 06, Danciger B
Seminar room, Afternoon )

2. Program
 16.00 – Prof. Miron Ya. Amusia Introductory remarks
16.10 – Prof. Gil Kalai What can we learn from a failure of quantum computers,
17.00 – Prof. Nadav Katz The Quantum information science - the state of the art.
General discussion

3. Henry and Manya Noskwith Professor of Mathematics at HUJI
Prof. Gil Kalai
Was born in 1955.
Henry and Manya Noskwith Professor of Mathematics at HUJI
Adjunct professor of mathematics and of computer science at Yale University
Editor of the Israel Journal of Mathematics
Recipient of the Po’lya Prize in 1992,
The Erdo’s Prize, Israel Mathematical Society, 1993,
The Fulkerson Prize, 1994
Rothschild Prize, 2012 in mathematics

4. Prof. Gil Kalai “What can we learn from a failure of quantum computers”
 Quantum computers are hypothetical devices that enable us to perform certain computations hundreds of magnitude of order faster than digital computers. This feature, coined “quantum supremacy” by John Preskill, could be manifested by experiments in the near future through, for example, Boson sampling, a very simple setting of non-interacting bosons. In the lecture I will explain the reasons why computationally superior quantum computers cannot work, what kind of modeling of quantum noise would not allow “quantum supremacy,” and what predictions on quantum physics are supported by the failure of quantum computers.

5. Since 2012 Associate Professor of Physics at HUJI
Prof. Nadav Katz
Was born in 1975.
Since 2012 Associate Professor of Physics at HUJI
12/2013 IPS Young Physicist award of excellence,
06/2013 ERC starter grant awarded
Alon fellowship for returning young excellent researchers
Rothschild postdoctoral fellowship award
2005 Kennedy prize (highest prize given to graduating PhD), Weizmann Institute of Science
2005 Israeli parliament excellence award to graduating PhD

6. Prof. Nadav Katz “Quantum information science - the state of the art”
  Twenty years have passed since the explosion of interest in quantum computing and information processing began. Initially the experimental community was highly skeptical and the ideas were thought to be a theoretical fancy, exponentially sensitive to noise in practice. However, the advent of error threshold theorems proved a remarkable fact about quantum information - it is a unique amalgam of analog and digital information. Under reasonable error models, subtle correction protocols can be applied, leading to a scalable and optimistic prospect for quantum computing. Focusing on some key implementations, I will present a unified perspective of the experimental progress, which has been remarkable in the past decade. I will conclude with a discussion of fundamental sources of decoherence, and try to determine the ultimate limits which known physics places on quantum complexity, in the lab and in "wild" nature.

7. SOME COMMENTS on 0ur meetings
 W I. Crossing the domains within physics: fullerenes and endohedrals as an object, where atomic, molecular and condensed matter physics are getting together –
W II. Friction in physics and society at
W III. What physics can say about climate changes
WIV. Quantum computing: achievable reality or unrealistic dream
Style is clear. Proposals are welcome.

8. Basic ideas and reality I
By chance in 2012 I run across M. Dyakonov’s “State of the Art and Prospects for Quantum Computing”. I red it like a good detective – overnight
I learned his main points:
Theorems are far from reality,
Quantum states are mixed without control,
Different disturbances are unescapable.
Remember – pure math is not the real world
I became not educated but armed and thus “dangerous”.
I gained conclusions to test and had nasty questions to ask

9. Basic ideas and reality II
Conclusions to test:
Almost all Quantum Computing promises are a big bluff
They cannot be fulfilled due to unescapable existence of the real world in years
Even if one would build real QC device – it has no suitable problems
All this resonated with my feelings
How to test?
Ask publicly prominent lecturers at big conferences nasty questions!

10. Basic ideas and reality III
Nasty questions to ask:
What QC managed to factorize using the famous Shor’s algorithm during last fifteen yeas, except 21=3x7 and 15=3x5 (not yet done)?
How, e.g. use anyons , not onions, for QC?
What, except modeling of not too big strongly interacting system could be subject of QC?
These questions were “tested” at Euroscience Open Forum, July 2012 (~4000 attendees) and ICPEAC, July 2013 (~1000).
There was no short, clear and/or convincing answer!
So, we get together here and intend to listen about pro and cons from experts in the field

11. Quantum Computing controversy
Quantum Computation: A Grand Mathematical Challenge for the Twenty-First Century and the Millennium”, S. J. Lomonaco, Jr., (2002).
“I believe that, in spite of appearances, the quantum computing story is nearing its end, not because somebody proves that it is impossible, but rather because 20 years is a typical lifetime of any big bubble in science, M. I. Dyakonov (2012).
Who is right? We have experts here! Listen, ask question, decide.

12. The podium is yours, our reliable and careful experts
At first Gil
and then Nadav

13. Choice of Date –Some - Specifics of year 2015
2015 : 5 = 403, where = 7 – Holy number
2015 in binary system is (number of digits from each side is 5!)
= =2015