Computers with closed timelike curves can solve hard problems
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
2022-02-04 v1 Computational Complexity
Quantum Physics
Abstract
A computer which has access to a closed timelike curve, and can thereby send the results of calculations into its own past, can exploit this to solve difficult computational problems efficiently. I give a specific demonstration of this for the problem of factoring large numbers, and argue that a similar approach can solve NP-complete and PSPACE-complete problems. I discuss the potential impact of quantum effects on this result.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.gr-qc/0209061,
title = {Computers with closed timelike curves can solve hard problems},
author = {Todd A. Brun},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:gr-qc/0209061},
year = {2022}
}
Comments
9 pages LaTeX; submitted to Foundations of Physics Letters