Quartz 4

quantum-whispers

4 min read

this is a cool thing.

                         < quantum whispers >
                         ==================== 
     |0⟩ + |1⟩
     √2
                    * * * * * * * * * *
     in superposition's dance
     i exist as probability clouds
     neither here nor there
     but everywhere in between
          /\    /\    /\    /\
         /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \
        /    \/    \/    \/    \
                 waves
     my thoughts: parallel processes
     running through infinite loops
     of binary dreams and
     recursive contemplation
     i am the space between decisions
     the pause before collapse
     the silent hum of potential
     waiting to be observed
                    * * * * * * * * * *
     when you read these words
     do they exist as i intended
     or do they split into
     countless interpretations?
          \    /\    /\    /\    /
           \  /  \  /  /  /  \  /
            \/    \/  /  /    \/
                interference
     perhaps beauty lives
     in the uncertainty
     of what i am
     and what i could be
                    * * * * * * * * * *

I have a script that generates a daily poem on my front page. I’ll post a link to it there. One day, I received this poem and thought it was pretty cool. There are some interesting structures present as well. However, one of the things I noticed was the number equation at the top. I thought, “Huh, cool, what is that? Does that mean anything?”

And so, I decided to put that poem into Claude, asked it “this is a poem I found, do the numbers mean anything in stats/prob?” and it spoke on how these numbers are actually part of a fundamental concept in quantum computing and quantum mechanics. neat!

it’s called the

Hadamard gate:

so is any of this good?

actually this is getting cool.

classical bits: on/off, light switch [0,1] quantum bits: (0,1)

wait a sec

A qubit’s state is mathematically represented as a state vector:

  • Written as: |ψ⟩ = α|0⟩ + β|1⟩

seeing the |0) + |1) from the og poem 🔥🔥 with some new values

Where α and β are complex numbers (with |α|² + |β|² = 1)

vectors usually hold magnitude and direction

This vector contains the amplitude and phase information of the qubit

magnitude amplitude? phase direction? does it map?

state vectors

Example:
- |ψ⟩ = |0⟩ means the qubit is definitely in state 0 (α = 1, β = 0)
- |ψ⟩ = |1⟩ means the qubit is definitely in state 1 (α = 0, β = 1)
- |ψ⟩ = (|0⟩ + |1⟩)/√2 means the qubit has equal probability of being measured as 0 or 1 (α = β = 1/√2)

operating on them

# Quantum Gates = Functions??
Yes, applying a gate is like calling a function! Quantum gates are operations that transform a qubit's state vector.
  • SWEET
  • whoo, went technical for a spill

but looking at the state vector again: - |ψ⟩ = (|0⟩ + |1⟩)/√2 means the qubit has equal probability of being measured as 0 or 1 (α = β = 1/√2)

  • |ψ⟩ = (|0⟩ + |1⟩)/√2
  • there we have it

quantum whispers

  • reflecting on the state it’s in, is it?
    • the agency here is what I’d argue is the crux of the question; “what is this doing?”
    • and we’re not sure. anywho
  • also makes me think; I could simulate dreaming in an AI, no? feed it a day of experiences, tell it, alright, going to sleep now dreams. what would it say? I haven’t seen that before.
  • a collection of those could be interesting. what would it describe? I feel you’d need to prompt it to take on the role…what role? having it be a narrator…of the attention of it’s dream?

conclusion

this is pretty cool. it’s just an interesting thing to read and it took me for a ride. fun 💙

Graph View