If you think playing computer games is a waste of time, try a few rounds of quantum tic-tac-toe. Placing knots and crosses on a 3-by-3 board rendered online in a web browser could quickly teach players the basics of quantum computing thanks to a few rule updates. And the more people who can understand important quantum principles such as superposition and entanglement, the deeper discussions will be possible between investors and developers.
Centers of excellence such as Quantum Delta NL, the Dutch national ecosystem for quantum computing, clearly recognize the power of computer games to teach quantum fundamentals. The organization also has a free version of Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe available on their website.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe
Tic-tac-toe – a game that dates back to 1300 B.C. and was found inscribed in ancient Egyptian roof tiles – is, at first glance, an unlikely candidate for reducing the complexity of quantum computing. But in 2002, AIAA members Alan Goff, Dale Lehman, and Joel Siegel dubbed it “quantum tic-tac-toe, spooky coins, and magic envelopes as metaphors.” The situation changed with the publication of the latest version of the regulations. For relativistic quantum physics.
A tweak to gameplay allows notes (or crosses) played in a single turn to exist in multiple squares at the same time. This is a concept known as superposition when considering quantum machines. And this marks the beginning of a fascinating educational journey, with players emerging at the end of the game with useful insights into how quantum computers work.
To model another important feature of the quantum universe, entanglement, multiple squares on a quantum tic-tac-toe board are linked together as the game progresses. And eventually a loop is formed, at which point the circular entanglement collapses. “Collapsing is a way of translating quantum motion into classical motion,” writes AIAA member Goff. “Half of each pair of mixed state movements involved is eliminated.”
For example, two squares may display a superimposition of crosses. This shows that a qubit (or qubits) can occupy multiple states at the same time. And those locations may be intertwined with other night pairs. But once the system is measured, that information will be incorporated into the final (and most likely in the case of industrial quantum machines) solution.
Continuing with the gameplay example, once the central rectangular cross is observed, it cannot exist in two locations at once. This triggers a logical mapping of linked or entangled states on the quantum tic-tac-toe board. In the game, a property can be one of nine possible states (represented by squares on the board). And the rules update has certainly increased player interest, reflecting how enticing quantum computers can be if we can get a foothold on how they work.
Game space, brunch space. What does tic-tac-toe have to do with quantum mechanics? Both are multicomputing systems. And in the study of games and puzzles, there are ways to “humanize” multicomputing. https://t.co/2YfgOrCOsZ pic.twitter.com/K2RBCbdtJT
— Stephen Wolfram (@stephen_wolfram) June 8, 2022
Also, if you don’t like online computer games, but want to understand how quantum computers differ from classical machines, you can download and print the Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe template to play offline.
Quantum tic-tac-toe also has its own entry on BoardGameGeek, with updated rules scoring 5.8 out of 10. For comparison, the classic board game Monopoly, which dates back to 1935 and pits players against the real estate market, has average ratings. of 4.4. And both Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store list the Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe app.
In fact, things came full circle, and developers programmed a quantum computer to play quantum tic-tac-toe. Chris Ferrie, member of the Quantum Software and Information Center at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, wrote about how he played and won tic-tac-toe on a quantum computer in 2021.
There are also other examples of programmers using APIs and open source libraries like Qiskit to build quantum circuits on real quantum computing hardware. IBM made his first quantum computer available online in 2016, and the service is still popular today.
Tic-Tac-Toe – Tech Pioneers
Tic-tac-toe may sound like a quirky framework for teaching new users about quantum computers, but the game actually has a strong track record that highlights technological advancements. One of the first titles in video game history was, you guessed it, Tic-Tac-Toe. However, it’s a normal version, not a monopoly beyond the quantum version.
An early proven computer game in the 1950s called OXO was programmed on a mainframe computer at the University of Cambridge, England, the so-called Electronic Delayed Storage Automatic Computer (EDSAC). This computer game was one of the first to display visuals on an electronic screen and even had AI opponents.
More recently, in 2015, researchers demonstrated that tic-tac-toe could be played using a sugar-based molecular computer, further cementing the game’s status as a technology pioneer.
Since Goff and his collaborators first shared the idea of using tic-tac-toe as a how-to guide for mastering the fundamentals of quantum computing, many others have developed quantum tic-tac-toe. has contributed to And the benefits of learning quantum mechanics concepts playfully are now well recognized.
Experts show that tic-tac-toe isn’t just useful for understanding superposition, entanglement, and other quantum principles. Game-based learning also helps developers understand how to program quantum computers. For example, there are multiple variations of tic-tac-toe that can be implemented as quantum circuits.
A game or a multicomputing system? Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe is both.
Programming tic-tac-toe on a quantum computer is a great way to familiarize yourself with key building blocks such as identity (ID) gates that maintain the actual state of the qubits. Other logic includes using Pauli X gates to invert the state of the qubits and Hadamard gates to create superpositions.
Industrial applications of quantum computers are currently attracting customer interest as they help solve complex logistical problems such as unloading huge cargo ships and delivering goods to national supermarkets. But it’s hard to sell a solution that clients have trouble understanding.
And this is exactly where Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe could make a difference by more clearly painting spooky behavior that is otherwise hard to understand.
