Editing Reversible computing (section)

{{short description|Model of computation in which all processes are time-reversible}}

'''Reversible computing''' is any [[model of computation]] where every step of the [[computational process|process]] is [[time-reversible]]. This means that, given the output of a computation, it's possible to perfectly reconstruct the input. In systems that [[Transition system|progress]] [[Deterministic system|deterministically]] from one state to another, a key requirement for reversibility is a [[injective function|one-to-one]] [[Binary relation|correspondence]] between each state and its successor. Reversible computing is considered an unconventional approach to computation and is closely linked to [[quantum computing]], where the principles of quantum mechanics inherently ensure reversibility (as long as [[quantum state]]s are not measured or "[[wave function collapse|collapsed]]").<ref name="Williams">{{cite book |author=Williams |first=Colin P. |title=Explorations in Quantum Computing |publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84628-887-6 |pages=25–29}}</ref>