TL;DR: Quantum annealing uses quantum fluctuations to find low-energy states of optimization problems. D-Wave's implementation with 7,000+ qubits is the most mature quantum optimization platform. While no pr
Quantum annealing uses quantum fluctuations to find low-energy states of optimization problems. D-Wave's implementation with 7,000+ qubits is the most mature quantum optimization platform. While no proven exponential speedup exists, practical advantages have been demonstrated for specific problems in logistics, finance, and materials science. Hybrid quantum-classical annealing is the current focus.
Type
Optimization / Annealing
Complexity
Heuristic; no proven speedup but practical for specific problems
Application
Combinatorial optimization, scheduling, logistics, portfolio optimization, protein folding