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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models

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Published on: November 16, 2013

Ultimate physical limits to computation

¹MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA. slloyd@mit.edu

|September 13, 2000

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Physical laws fundamentally limit computer performance. This study explores the ultimate computational power based on the speed of light, quantum mechanics, and gravity, providing bounds for a hypothetical

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Area of Science:

Theoretical Computer Science
Physical Limits of Computation
Information Theory

Background:

Computers are physical systems governed by the laws of physics.
Computational speed is limited by energy, and information capacity by degrees of freedom.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the fundamental physical limits of computation.
To establish quantitative bounds on computational power based on universal physical constants.

Main Methods:

Analysis of physical constraints on information processing.
Application of the speed of light (c), Planck's constant (h), and the gravitational constant (G).

Main Results:

Derivation of theoretical limits for computational speed and information capacity.
Quantitative bounds established for an 'ultimate laptop' (1 kg, 1 liter).

Conclusions:

The physical nature of computers imposes inherent limitations on their capabilities.
Understanding these limits is crucial for future advancements in computing.