Computing the Quantum World — Using Classical and Quantum Computers

All matter, when divided sufficiently finely, is made of atoms. At the center of every atom lies a nucleus of tightly bound protons and neutrons. The theory describing this binding force is quantum chromodynamics (QCD), whose strong coupling makes hand calculations of physical phenomena impractical. For about forty years, classical supercomputers have been used to explore the behavior of QCD and particles inside nuclei. However, some regimes remain difficult even for classical computers. This talk reviews what classical computation has taught us about QCD, outlines the remaining challenges, and introduces emerging quantum-computing approaches.