# How is the term "quantum decadence" used in quantum computing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-term-quantum-decadence-used-in-quantum-computing/765170 "2016-09-06T04:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-term-quantum-decadence-used-in-quantum-computing/765170/1 "2016-09-06T04:36:32Z")
> **[Neuron Stars Explained](https://www.infohow.org/science/space-time/neuron-stars-explained/)** > > A neuron star is a sort of stellar leftover that can consequence from the gravitational breakdown of a huge star around a Sort II, Sort Ib or Sort Ic supernova \[…\] Neuron stars are exceptionally sultry and are backed in opposition to encourage fall by quantum decadence force because of the Pauli prohibition guideline. This rule states that no two neutrons (or any viable fermionic particles) can involve the same place and quantum state at the same time. How is the term “quantum decadence” used in quantum computing? I’ve heard it used but I can’t find any reference to it online. I look forward to your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-term-quantum-decadence-used-in-quantum-computing/765170/2 "2016-09-06T04:55:24Z")
That’s auto-translated from another language. Presumably: sultry = (?) dense encourage fall = gravity decadence = **degeneracy** > **[Degenerate matter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate_matter)** > > Degenerate matter is a highly dense state of fermionic matter in which the Pauli exclusion principle exerts significant pressure in addition to, or in lieu of, thermal pressure. The description applies to matter composed of electrons, protons, neutrons or other fermions. The term is mainly used in astrophysics to refer to dense stellar objects where gravitational pressure is so extreme that quantum mechanical effects are significant. This type of matter is naturally found in stars in their fin De... In the context of a neutron star: > **[Degenerate matter | Neutron degeneracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate_matter#Neutron_degeneracy)** > > Neutron degeneracy is analogous to electron degeneracy and is demonstrated in neutron stars, which are partially supported by the pressure from a degenerate neutron gas. The collapse happens when the core of a white dwarf exceeds approximately 1.44 solar masses, which is the Chandrasekhar limit, above which the collapse is not halted by the pressure of degenerate electrons. As the star collapses, the Fermi energy of the electrons increases to the point where it is energetically favorable for t Ne... But I think the word you may be recalling that _sounds_ similar is decoherence? > **[Quantum decoherence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_decoherence)** > > Quantum decoherence is the loss of quantum coherence, the process in which a system's behaviour changes from that which can be explained by quantum mechanics to that which can be explained by classical mechanics. In quantum mechanics, particles such as electrons are described by a wave function, a mathematical representation of the quantum state of a system; a probabilistic interpretation of the wave function is used to explain various quantum effects. As long as there exists a definite phase ... ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-term-quantum-decadence-used-in-quantum-computing/765170/3 "2016-09-06T05:06:54Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > That’s auto-translated from another language. > > Presumably: > sultry = (?) dense > encourage fall = gravity > decadence = **degeneracy** > [Degenerate matter - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate_matter) > In the context of a neutron star: > [Degenerate matter - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degenerate_matter#Neutron_degeneracy) > > But I think the word you may be recalling that _sounds_ similar is decoherence? > [Quantum decoherence - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_decoherence) Thanks Riemann. Very helpful. Decoherence is the proper word. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-term-quantum-decadence-used-in-quantum-computing/765170/4 "2016-09-06T13:49:44Z")
Wow, **Riemann** , I’m glad you decoded that, because I was at an absolute loss. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-term-quantum-decadence-used-in-quantum-computing/765170/5 "2016-09-06T14:02:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wow, **Riemann** , I’m glad you decoded that, because I was at an absolute loss. Yeah, I was going to say the same thing. He was spot-on. Context-free machine translation of technical material can lead to hilarious results, as it did here. So neutron stars are sultry and decadent? Who knew? 😃 The original statement of course was along the lines of “neutron stars are exceptionally dense and are prevented from gravitational collapse by neutron-degenerate forces due to the Pauli exclusion principle”. Which has nothing to do with quantum computing and it was happily inferred that “quantum decoherence” was the relevant term. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-the-term-quantum-decadence-used-in-quantum-computing/765170/6 "2016-09-06T14:30:49Z")
Electrical accuse, sultry neutron stars, quantum decadence - it all sounds quite sordid. And, intriguingly, the article also features “white diminutive people”. It would be interesting to see if we can figure out what language it came from. “Sultry” might be the best clue – in English, it’s quite far away from “dense”, but as a descriptor for sticky, humid, “close” weather you can easily imagine that a word is closer in another language.