FAQ about Qilimanjaro. Part 1, general questions
General Questions
1) What is Qilimanjaro?
Qilimanjaro is the first quantum computing service accessible under a decentralized scheme, providing easy and affordable accessibility to quantum computing power for the masses , from academia to businesses.
This access is provided through OpenQ, a platform from where any interested party can solve problems that require a great computing capacity in a time inferior to the classic-computer resolution time. This is possible by translating the real problems into quantum algorithms (Q Software Services) and executing them in a quantum computer accessible through a cloud service.
The function of Qilimanjaro as nucleus of quantum computation can be considered both Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), as well as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). However, Qilimanjaro reveals its true potential by adding Qibo, an open-source high-level API able to run quantum applications in any existing quantum machine (IBM, Rigetti, …) besides our own. This fosters a community of collaboration and mutual development in the quantum computing space.
2) What problem does Qilimanjaro solve?
At present, quantum computing is available through prototypes with little functionality. Unfortunately, even at such an early stage, this cutting-edge technology is only within the reach of large corporations who are able to meet the expensive fees of most of these products. Qilimanjaro aims to be part of the solution by substantially lowering the computing cost, becoming more accessible to everyone.
In addition, Qilimanjaro will promote the growth of the new generation of quantum programmers by rewarding those who contribute new algorithms and provide free access to quantum-computing-focused learning resources.
3) Why a blockchain database structure?
Basically we are using the blockchain technology for two main reasons: first, to give the masses a transparent quantum computing cloud service Second, to be able to reward the developers.
Blockchain perfectly suits our goals. It provides a decentralized scheme to run a token system for the quantum community.
The token exchange serves two purposes: running an actual quantum device under a decentralized scheme and paying back the emerging community of quantum developers. The use of the very first quantum computer by IBM was indeed run under a token scheme.
Currently, individuals and medium-sized companies are out of the game when it comes to access quantum devices in the present schemes. Access for basic research and education centers will need the structure we are proposing.
Underlying all this discussion is the fact that we do want to be players in the quantum race and serve the community as a whole. In this direction, we shall invest all our efforts and ideas.
4) Do you currently own any Quantum Computer?
We are at the first stages of building our own quantum processor. First experiments to cool a dilution refrigerator to 15 mK are about to start. Then, we will test our first generation of qubits (fabricated by Head of Qilimanjaro Quantum Computing Service Pol Forn-Díaz, and also from collaborations from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) and we will perform basic sequences of quantum gates.
5) Also there are other projects that are busy with computing (Golem, SONM, IEXEC), what makes this one different?
Those projects are about supercomputing or are focusing on fog computing and other forms of providing decentralized and distributed Internet-based solutions. Instead, Qilimanjaro focuses on quantum computing, accessible under a decentralized scheme, providing easy and affordable accessibility to quantum computing power.
Qilimanjaro focuses on different type of computation compared to those projects.
We do not need to use a quantum computer to solve the problems that classical computers or supercomputers can solve, but when a task will be too heavy for a classical computer, we will have our quantum processing unit (QPU) to assist the classical CPU. This is a marvelous symbiosis, classical and quantum computers focusing on different objectives, in a seamless collaboration.
Thanks to our Qilimanjaro community for the support over the last days.
We are happy to answer any next questions you may have. Currently, the best way to reach us is through our Telegram group.
Some useful links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/qilimanjaro
Website: https://qilimanjaro.io
Whitepaper: https://qilimanjaro.io/static/whitepaper.pdf
