Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1206.3686 · The MIT Press eBooks

Is Quantum Mechanics Falsifiable? A Computational Perspective on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Dorit Aharonov, Umesh V. Vazirani

Published Jun 7, 2013• 33 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum computation teaches us that quantum mechanics exhibits exponential complexity. We argue that the standard scientific paradigm of "predict and verify" cannot be applied to testing quantum mechanics in this limit of high complexity. We describe how QM can be tested in this regime by extending the usual scientific paradigm to include {\it interactive experiments}.

DOI
10.7551/mitpress/8009.003.0012

Related papers

Is Quantum Mechanics Falsifiable? A Computational Perspective on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

B. Jack Copeland, Carl J. Posy, Oron Shagrir

This chapter contains sections titled: 11.1 Polynomial Time and the Extended Church—Turing Thesis, 11.2 Interactive Proofs, 11.3 Interactive Proofs for Quantum Mechanics, 11.4 How Weak Verifiers Can Test Strong Machines: Proof Idea, 11.5 Further Complications: Can the Prover Apply the Gates?, 11.6 Summary, 11.7 Related Work, Acknowledgments, Notes, References

•Jan 1, 2013•1 citation

Quantum mechanical computation

James D. Brasher

The physics and the mathematics of computation are examined to provide a foundation and perspective for the investigation of the quantum mechanics of computation. Our purpose is to explore the fundamental limits and constraints imposed on computation by Nature through the laws of physics and the mathematics of computational complexity. Inasmuch as information storage and transmission are an integral part of computation, their physical bounds are considered. The computer is viewed both physically and mathematically as a dynamical system, and is depicted in terms of the basic Turing machine paradigm. Three fundamental classes of the Turing machine are defined; the deterministic, stochastic and quantum Turing machines. Hamiltonian models and physical realizations of quantum computing are described. Quantum computers can perform some tasks which have no classical analogue, but they cannot compute functions that are non-computable by classical means. Some classically intractable problems can be solved with quantum computers.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Mar 1, 1994•0 citations

Quantum magic: A skeptical perspective

Giorgio Torrieri

Quantum mechanics (QM) has attracted a considerable amount of mysticism, in public opinion and even among academic researches, due to some of its conceptually puzzling features, such as the modification of reality by the observer and entanglement. We argue that many popular "quantum paradoxes" stem from a confusion between mathematical formalism and physics; We demonstrate this by explaining how the paradoxes go away once a different formalism, usually inconvenient to perform calculations, is used. we argue that some modern developments, well-studied in the research literature but generally overlooked by both popular science and teaching-level literature, make quantum mechanics (that is, "canonical" QM, not extensions of it) less conceptually problematic than it looks at first sight. When all this is looked at together, most "conceptual puzzles" of QM are not much different from the well-known paradoxes from probability theory. Consequently, "explanations of QM" involving physical action of consciouses or an infinity of universes are conceptually unnecessary

arXiv:1107.3800•Jul 19, 2011•0 citations

Quantum Computing- A Revolutionizing the Computational Paradigm

Vandana Dabass, Suman

Quantum computing harnesses the mystifying principles of quantum mechanics to address challenges beyond the grasp of traditional computers. This illuminating paper digs far below the theoretical foundations underpinning quantum computing, applicable uses presently explored, and enormous barriers slowing advancement to accomplishing quantum supremacy. Core topics covered profoundly comprise delicate interactions connecting quantum bits, quantum logic gates manipulating superposed states, and algorithms exponentially outpacing usual techniques in cryptography and optimization. The document also surveys recent breakthroughs and maps out the lengthy road still ahead to rendering quantum computing feasible in the genuine world.

International Journal of Research and Review in Applied Science Humanities and Technology•Feb 14, 2025•0 citations

Quantum Computing- A Revolutionizing the Computational Paradigm

Vandana Dabass, Suman

Quantum computing harnesses the mystifying principles of quantum mechanics to address challenges beyond the grasp of traditional computers. This illuminating paper digs far below the theoretical foundations underpinning quantum computing, applicable uses presently explored, and enormous barriers slowing advancement to accomplishing quantum supremacy. Core topics covered profoundly comprise delicate interactions connecting quantum bits, quantum logic gates manipulating superposed states, and algorithms exponentially outpacing usual techniques in cryptography and optimization. The document also surveys recent breakthroughs and maps out the lengthy road still ahead to rendering quantum computing feasible in the genuine world.

International Journal of Research and Review in Applied Science Humanities and Technology•May 23, 2025•1 citation

Scientific applications of quantum computing: challenges and opportunities

Bruno Camino, C. Richard A. Catlow, John Buckeridge +13 more

The predictive simulation of molecules and materials has had a broad and significant impact. It nevertheless remains constrained by the cost of accurately treating electronic correlation, excited states, and complex energy landscapes. Quantum computing offers a fundamentally different computational paradigm in which quantum states are encoded and manipulated directly rather than approximated on classical hardware. Here we discuss where this approach may provide a genuine scientific advantage in chemistry, materials science, and biochemistry. Promising directions include the high-accuracy treatment of correlated active spaces, improved excited-state simulations, and accelerated exploration of combinatorial structure spaces. The central challenge is therefore not qubit scaling alone, but demonstrably chemically meaningful gains in predictive reliability. We argue that near-term value is most likely to come from disciplined workflow integration rather than wholesale replacement of classical methods. Noisy physical devices, error-mitigated utility experiments, early fault-tolerant devices, and fully fault-tolerant quantum computers offer different scientific prospects, and claims of usefulness must be tied to the specific regime being discussed. Quantum computing will become scientifically valuable when it demonstrably reduces uncertainty in computed energies, rates, spectra, or materials stability after the full costs of state preparation, measurement, error handling, and coupling to classical simulation are included.

quant-pharXiv:2608.16568•Aug 18, 2026•0 citations
Quantum computation teaches us that quantum mechanics exhibits exponential complexity. We argue that the standard scientific paradigm of "predict and verify" cannot be applied to testing quantum mechanics in this limit of high complexity. We describe how QM can be tested in this regime by extending the usual scientific paradigm to include {\it interactive experiments}.
The physics and the mathematics of computation are examined to provide a foundation and perspective for the investigation of the quantum mechanics of computation. Our purpose is to explore the fundamental limits and constraints imposed on computation by Nature through the laws of physics and the mathematics of computational complexity. Inasmuch as information storage and transmission are an integral part of computation, their physical bounds are considered. The computer is viewed both physically and mathematically as a dynamical system, and is depicted in terms of the basic Turing machine paradigm. Three fundamental classes of the Turing machine are defined; the deterministic, stochastic and quantum Turing machines. Hamiltonian models and physical realizations of quantum computing are described. Quantum computers can perform some tasks which have no classical analogue, but they cannot compute functions that are non-computable by classical means. Some classically intractable problems can be solved with quantum computers.
Quantum mechanics (QM) has attracted a considerable amount of mysticism, in public opinion and even among academic researches, due to some of its conceptually puzzling features, such as the modification of reality by the observer and entanglement. We argue that many popular "quantum paradoxes" stem from a confusion between mathematical formalism and physics; We demonstrate this by explaining how the paradoxes go away once a different formalism, usually inconvenient to perform calculations, is used. we argue that some modern developments, well-studied in the research literature but generally overlooked by both popular science and teaching-level literature, make quantum mechanics (that is, "canonical" QM, not extensions of it) less conceptually problematic than it looks at first sight. When all this is looked at together, most "conceptual puzzles" of QM are not much different from the well-known paradoxes from probability theory. Consequently, "explanations of QM" involving physical action of consciouses or an infinity of universes are conceptually unnecessary
Quantum computing harnesses the mystifying principles of quantum mechanics to address challenges beyond the grasp of traditional computers. This illuminating paper digs far below the theoretical foundations underpinning quantum computing, applicable uses presently explored, and enormous barriers slowing advancement to accomplishing quantum supremacy. Core topics covered profoundly comprise delicate interactions connecting quantum bits, quantum logic gates manipulating superposed states, and algorithms exponentially outpacing usual techniques in cryptography and optimization. The document also surveys recent breakthroughs and maps out the lengthy road still ahead to rendering quantum computing feasible in the genuine world.
Quantum computing harnesses the mystifying principles of quantum mechanics to address challenges beyond the grasp of traditional computers. This illuminating paper digs far below the theoretical foundations underpinning quantum computing, applicable uses presently explored, and enormous barriers slowing advancement to accomplishing quantum supremacy. Core topics covered profoundly comprise delicate interactions connecting quantum bits, quantum logic gates manipulating superposed states, and algorithms exponentially outpacing usual techniques in cryptography and optimization. The document also surveys recent breakthroughs and maps out the lengthy road still ahead to rendering quantum computing feasible in the genuine world.
The predictive simulation of molecules and materials has had a broad and significant impact. It nevertheless remains constrained by the cost of accurately treating electronic correlation, excited states, and complex energy landscapes. Quantum computing offers a fundamentally different computational paradigm in which quantum states are encoded and manipulated directly rather than approximated on classical hardware. Here we discuss where this approach may provide a genuine scientific advantage in chemistry, materials science, and biochemistry. Promising directions include the high-accuracy treatment of correlated active spaces, improved excited-state simulations, and accelerated exploration of combinatorial structure spaces. The central challenge is therefore not qubit scaling alone, but demonstrably chemically meaningful gains in predictive reliability. We argue that near-term value is most likely to come from disciplined workflow integration rather than wholesale replacement of classical methods. Noisy physical devices, error-mitigated utility experiments, early fault-tolerant devices, and fully fault-tolerant quantum computers offer different scientific prospects, and claims of usefulness must be tied to the specific regime being discussed. Quantum computing will become scientifically valuable when it demonstrably reduces uncertainty in computed energies, rates, spectra, or materials stability after the full costs of state preparation, measurement, error handling, and coupling to classical simulation are included.