Toshiba’s “Simulated Bifurcation Algorithm” Designed to Harness Principles Behind Quantum Computers

(Bloomberg) Toshiba’s “Simulated Bifurcation Algorithm” is designed to harness the principles behind quantum computers. Toshiba says it has the technology to make such rapid-fire calculations a reality — not quite quantum computing, but perhaps the next best thing.Toshiba has said it needs a partner to adopt the algorithm for real-world use, and financial firms have taken notice as they grapple for an edge in markets increasingly dominated by machines. Banks, brokerages and asset managers have all been experimenting with quantum computing.
“Finance is the most familiar application,” Toshiba Chief Executive Officer Nobuaki Kurumatani said in an interview.
“You can just plug it into a server and run it at room temperature,” Kosuke Tatsumura, a senior research scientist at Toshiba’s Computer & Network Systems Laboratory, said in an interview. The Tokyo-based conglomerate, while best known for its consumer electronics and nuclear reactors, has long conducted research into advanced technologies.