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arXiv:astro-ph/0404510astro-ph

Universal Limits on Computation

Lawrence M. Krauss, Glenn D. Starkman

Abstract

The physical limits to computation have been under active scrutiny over the past decade or two, as theoretical investigations of the possible impact of quantum mechanical processes on computing have begun to make contact with realizable experimental configurations. We demonstrate here that the observed acceleration of the Universe can produce a universal limit on the total amount of information that can be stored and processed in the future, putting an ultimate limit on future technology for any civilization, including a time-limit on Moore's Law. The limits we derive are stringent, and include the possibilities that the computing performed is either distributed or local. A careful consideration of the effect of horizons on information processing is necessary for this analysis, which suggests that the total amount of information that can be processed by any observer is significantly less than the Hawking-Bekenstein entropy associated with the existence of an event horizon in an accelerating universe.

arXiv comments
3 pages including eps figure, submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett; several typos corrected, several references added, and a short discussion of w <-1 added
Journal reference
DOI
Subjects
astro-phAstrophysics gr-qcGeneral Relativity and Quantum Cosmology hep-phHigh Energy Physics, Phenomenology hep-thHigh Energy Physics, Theory quant-phQuantum Physics

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Linked by 4 identifiable commenters in 4 comments across 3 threads, from Jul 2010 to Jun 2015. Found in 1 HN submission from Jun 2015 to Jun 2015. Open submission discussions.

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  1. Universal Limits on Computation (2004) [pdf] 2 comments

    • A note -- if you're linking to arXiv, it's better to link to the abstract (http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0404510, or http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0404510v2 for this specific version) rather than directly to the PDF. From the abstract, one can easily click through to the PDF…

      SniffnoyView on HNParent context

    • Ok, we changed the url from http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0404510v2.pdf.

      dangView on HNParent context

  2. What is the theoretical limit of information density? 1 comment

    • The remarkable thing that this explanation doesn't really explore in depth is that the maximum information (~entropy) contained in a region scales according to its boundary area rather than to its volume. That means that "maximum information per unit volume" drops precipitously…

      SteuardView on HNParent context

  3. Computational capacity of the universe 1 comment

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