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The computer as a physical system: A microscopic quantum mechanical Hamiltonian model of computers as represented by Turing machines

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  • Published: May 1980
  • Volume 22, pages 563–591 (1980)
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The computer as a physical system: A microscopic quantum mechanical Hamiltonian model of computers as represented by Turing machines
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  • Paul Benioff1 nAff2 
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Abstract

In this paper a microscopic quantum mechanical model of computers as represented by Turing machines is constructed. It is shown that for each numberN and Turing machineQ there exists a HamiltonianH N Q and a class of appropriate initial states such that if c is such an initial state, thenψ Q N (t)=exp(−1H N Q t)ψ Q N (0) correctly describes at timest 3,t 6,⋯,t 3N model states that correspond to the completion of the first, second, ⋯, Nth computation step ofQ. The model parameters can be adjusted so that for an arbitrary time intervalΔ aroundt 3,t 6,⋯,t 3N, the “machine” part ofψ Q N (t) is stationary.

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Author information

Author notes
  1. Paul Benioff

    Present address: Division of Environmental Impact Studies, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Physique Théorique, Section II, CNRS, Marseilles, France

    Paul Benioff

Authors
  1. Paul Benioff
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Cite this article

Benioff, P. The computer as a physical system: A microscopic quantum mechanical Hamiltonian model of computers as represented by Turing machines. J Stat Phys 22, 563–591 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011339

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  • Received: 11 June 1979

  • Revised: 09 August 1979

  • Issue date: May 1980

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011339

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Key words

  • Computer as a physical system
  • microscopic Hamiltonian models of computers
  • Schrödinger equation description of Turing machines
  • Coleman model approximation
  • closed conservative system
  • quantum spin lattices

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