Can quantum mechanics help distributed computing?

TL;DR

This paper surveys how quantum information processing can enable solutions to distributed computing problems that are impossible classically, often reducing communication needs and enhancing efficiency.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of quantum advantages in distributed computation, highlighting problems solvable only with quantum resources and communication reductions.

Findings

Quantum mechanics enables solving classically impossible distributed tasks.

Quantum resources can significantly reduce communication complexity.

The survey covers various distributed tasks benefiting from quantum information.

Abstract

We present a brief survey of results where quantum information processing is useful to solve distributed computation tasks. We describe problems that are impossible to solve using classical resources but that become feasible with the help of quantum mechanics. We also give examples where the use of quantum information significantly reduces the need for communication. The main focus of the survey is on communication complexity but we also address other distributed tasks.