14 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
14 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
|
||
A **byte** is a [unit](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit "Unit") of [measurement](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measurement "Measurement") of the size of [information](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information "Information") on a [computer](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer "Computer") or other [electronic](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronics "Electronics") device. A single byte is usually eight [bits](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit "Bit"). Some early computers used six bits for each byte. Bits are the smallest unit of storage on a computer, a single on/off value. Bytes are often represented by the capital letter **B**, bits by a lower case **b**.
|
||
|
||
A single typed [character](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character "Character") (for example, 'x' or '8') is stored in one byte. The character is held as a [binary](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary "Binary") number which [encodes](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encode "Encode") a text character. To map each number to a character an agreed code such as [EBCDIC](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBCDIC "EBCDIC") or [ASCII](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII "ASCII") is needed. EBCDIC is a [character encoding](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_encoding "Character encoding") used mainly on [mainframe computers](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainframe_computer "Mainframe computer"). It uses 8 bits per byte. ASCII is another encoding that only uses seven bits. _Extended ASCII_ uses 8 bits to give more types of characters, mostly used on [personal computers](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_computers "Personal computers").
|
||
|
||
## Introducing a qyte
|
||
|
||
In the field of quantum information science we want to draw similar enough connections. A qyte is a unit of measurement of the size of quantum information on quantum devices. A single qyte is usually 8 qubits. Some earlier computers used binary qubits for each byte. This is not the case for the kyte.
|
||
|
||
>[!note] This principle goes back at least as far as Aristotle, who wrote "Nature operates in the shortest way possible."
|
||
|
||
|
||
|