Quantum Computing Is Coming. What Can It Do?

Quantum technology is approaching the mainstream. Goldman Sachs recently announced that they could introduce quantum algorithms to price financial instruments in as soon as five years. Honeywell anticipates that quantum will form a $1 trillion industry in the decades ahead. But why are firms like Goldman taking this leap -- especially with commercial quantum computers being possibly years away? To understand what's going on, it's useful to take a step back and examine what exactly it is that computers do.