Page "Quantum computer" Paragraph 8

For example: Consider first a classical computer that operates on a three-bit register.

The state of the computer at any time is a probability distribution over the different three-bit strings < tt > 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, 111 </ tt >.

If it is a deterministic computer, then it is in exactly one of these states with probability 1.

However, if it is a probabilistic computer, then there is a possibility of it being in any one of a number of different states.

We can describe this probabilistic state by eight nonnegative numbers A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ( where A