Difference between Supercomputer and Quantum Computer

What is a Computer?

A computer is an electric device which is developed by Charles Babbage in 1822. It takes input data from the input devices, stores and process it, and produces output in the output devices. The processing is done by the Central Processing Unit.

It is designed to perform various operations and tasks depending upon the instructions provided by a user. It can perform a wide range of tasks including word processing, graphic design, gaming, and internet browsing.

Components of Computer

• Hardware Parts - Parts of a computer system which can be touched or seen including Input and Output devices.

• Software Parts - Parts of a computer which cannot be seen or touched. It is a group of computer programs and instructions.

• Input Devices - They are those, which are used to provide the input like keyboard, mouse, etc.

• Output Devices - They are those, which are used to display or show the output like speakers, screens, etc.

• Central Processing Unit (CPU) - It is the brain of the computer, performing calculations and executing instructions.

• Storage Devices - They are those, which are used to store the data. Memory are of two types namely, primary memory and secondary memory.

Types of computers

There are various types of computers as given in the following:

• Supercomputers

• Quantum computers

• Mini computers

• Mainframe computers

• Workstation

• Micro computers

In this article, we will get advanced information on supercomputers and quantum computers, and the important differences between them.

What is a Supercomputer?

The first supercomputer, named CDC 6600 was invented by Seymour Cray and Boris Babayan in 1964.

A supercomputer is a special type of computer, whose computing speed is a thousand times more than a personal computer present in our homes. It can do even the biggest tasks in a few seconds which our normal computers will take enough time.

It is larger in size equal to a room. It is used in that places, where we want information of every second such as live updates of the satellite. These are used for scientific applications and engineering applications. The performance of supercomputers is measured in Flops.

Due to very high speed and processing power, supercomputers are best choice for scientific and engineering applications. Overall, a supercomputer is one which is exceptional in terms of various parameters like processing power, storage capacity, user handling capacity, etc.

What is a Quantum Computer?

The concept of Quantum Computers was proposed by Richard Feynman and Yuri Manin in 1980s.

A quantum computer is a device that does calculations and stores data based on the principles of quantum mechanics. It has the ability to solve complex computational problems more efficiently than classical computers

Quantum computers use quantum digits (QUBITS) rather than binary digits or bits (0, 1). QUBIT can have more than one value at a time.

Quantum computer is totally different from traditional computers and they are much faster than extremely powerful supercomputers. Quantum computers are widely employed in different field of technology and science, such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, solar capture, weather forecasting, drug development, and more.

Difference between Supercomputers and Quantum computers

The major differences between supercomputers and quantum computers are highlighted in the following table:

Parameter	Super Computers	Quantum Computers
Physical size	Supercomputers are larger in size.	Quantum computers are smaller in size.
Speed	Supercomputers are slower than Quantum computers.	Quantum computers are faster than Supercomputers.
Operational technique	Supercomputers use classical bits.	Quantum computers use qubits or quantum bits.
Performance criteria	Supercomputers perform the computations by using classical physics.	Quantum computers perform the computations by using quantum mechanics.
Energy consumption	Energy consumption is very high due to a large number of components.	Quantum computers use energy-efficient algorithms.
Limitations	Supercomputers are limited by physical constraints such as heat dissipation and power consumption	Quantum computers are limited by qubit's coherence and error rates.
Real-time data analysis	Supercomputers can be used for real-time data analysis and processing.	Quantum computers are currently not suitable for real-time applications.
Focus	Supercomputers are focused on solving problems with existing algorithms and optimization techniques.	Quantum computers are focused on developing new algorithms and optimization techniques.
Computational algorithm	Supercomputers use the deterministic algorithm for computations.	Quantum computers use the probabilistic algorithm for computations.
Memory	Supercomputers can use the multiple levels of memory hierarchy to optimize performance.	Quantum computers have limited memory and need more approaches for data storage.
Processing	Supercomputers process the data sequentially.	Quantum computers use leverage quantum parallelism.
Design	Supercomputers are designed for diverse applications.	Quantum computers are specialized for specific tasks.
Technology	Supercomputers are relatively stable and have well-established technology.	Quantum computers are a new and rapidly evolving technology.
Cooling requirements	Supercomputers require extensive cooling.	Relatively low temperatures are required for quantum computers.
Program	Easy to understand the program of Supercomputers.	Require quantum-specific programming for Quantum computers.
Footprint	Supercomputers have a large physical footprint.	Quantum computers have a small physical footprint.
Scalability	Supercomputers have limited scalability.	Quantum computers are potentially scalable.
Range	Supercomputers have a finite input-output range.	Quantum computers have an unbounded input-output range.
Cost	Supercomputers are relatively lower cost.	Quantum computers are higher in cost.
Upgrade	Supercomputers can be upgraded incrementally.	Quantum computers require major technological advancements for improvement.
Data security	Supercomputers have a limited impact on data security.	Quantum computers are the potential to revolutionize data security.

Conclusion

Charles Babbage created the computer, an electronic device, in 1822. It receives input data from the input devices, processes it, saves the results, and outputs the results to the output devices. The Central Monitoring unit handles the processing.

A supercomputer is a unique kind of computer with a processing speed a thousand times faster than a typical home personal computer. It is capable of completing even the most difficult jobs that would normally take our standard computers a long time. Its size is greater, comparable to a room. It is useful in situations where we need real-time updates from the satellite or information every second. These are employed in engineering and scientific applications.

A quantum computer is a device that does calculations and stores data based on the theories of quantum mechanics. It is capable of solving complex computational issues more effectively than traditional computers. Instead of binary digits (0, 1), quantum computers utilize quantum digits (QUBITS). A QUBIT may take many values at once.