西蒙斯基金会Flatiron研究所计算量子物理中心与波士顿大学的研究团队利用张量网络等高等数学方法，在一台普通笔记本电脑上解决了复杂的量子物理问题[1]。这一成果挑战了长期以来认为此类计算超出古典计算机能力范围的观点。
该研究由Joseph Tindall领导，采用了ITensor软件库和信念传播算法进行计算[1]。研究人员通过压缩由数百个纠缠量子比特产生的波函数，使得原本被认为需要专门量子计算机才能处理的问题得以在个人计算机上运行[1]。Tindall将这一方法比作"波函数的压缩文件"，解释道："你把所有信息都压缩成这个数学数据结构，里面满是互相连接的小数字表格"[1]。研究结果与理论预测和量子计算机模拟相符，相关成果已发表在《Science》杂志2026年第392卷第6800期上[1]。
这项突破恰逢其时。2025年3月，另一个研究团队曾发表论文声称古典计算机无法在复杂量子系统动力学计算中匹配量子计算机的性能[1]。此番研究则表明，借助适当的数学工具和算法优化，传统计算机在处理特定量子问题上仍有竞争力。
Researchers have successfully tackled a complex quantum physics problem on an ordinary laptop using advanced mathematics and specialized software, challenging the assumption that such computations lie beyond the reach of classical computers.[1] Scientists from the Simons Foundation's Flatiron Institute Center for Computational Quantum Physics and Boston University employed tensor network techniques to compress the wave function generated by hundreds of entangled qubits, enabling portions of the calculation to run on a personal computer.[1] The results matched both theoretical predictions and simulations from quantum computers, demonstrating the viability of classical approaches to problems previously considered exclusively suited for quantum systems.[1]
The team utilized ITensor, a high-performance tensor network software library, combined with belief propagation algorithms—a method developed in the 1980s that has recently been adapted for quantum systems.[1] Lead author Joseph Tindall described the approach as compressing vast amounts of information into interconnected mathematical data structures, stating: "It's this zip file for the wave function where you've taken all this information, and you've compressed it into this mathematical data structure full of these small tables of numbers that are interconnected to each other."[1] The research, published in Science in 2026 (Volume 392, Issue 6800, page 868), examined quantum dynamics in systems arranged in square, cubic, or diamond-shaped lattices.[1] This finding comes amid ongoing debate in the field, as another research team published a paper in March 2025 asserting that classical computers cannot match quantum computers' performance in calculating complex quantum system dynamics.[1]