[dba-SQLServer] Quantum Computing: Has Its Dawn Finally Arrived?

Arthur Fuller fuller.artful at gmail.com
Thu Aug 23 07:00:23 CDT 2012


This snippet from iProgrammer:

A Quantum Computer <http://www.i-programmer.info/news/112/4679.html#> Finds
FactorsWritten by Mike James   Tuesday, 21 August 2012 10:00

The Shor quantum factoring algorithm has been run for the first time on a
solid state device and it successfully factored a composite number. Is this
the start of the quantum computing revolution?

Quantum computing is promised to provide many amazing advantages, but the
one that is uppermost in the collective consciousness is its ability to
factor numbers. The reason for this concern is that the Public Key
Infrastructure (PKI) depends on the factoring of large numbers (600 digits
or more) being a difficult task for a standard algorithm. In simple terms,
public cryptography depends on the asymmetry between multiplying two primes
together - easy - and factoring the number that results - difficult.

A quantum computer, on the other hand, promises to factor a number of any
size in one operation and,  if one can be built, the future of the PKI
looks bleak and we would have to find encryption methods that were safe
against a quantum attack.

The summary of this can be found here:
http://www.i-programmer.info/news/112/4679.html

The original article published in Nature Physics can be found here:
http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys2385.html
(subscription
required).

-- 
Arthur
Cell: 647.710.1314

Prediction is difficult, especially of the future.
  -- Niels Bohr


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