The Importance of Google’s Leaked Paper
Moving beyond classical computers
Excerpts and salient points ~
+ Today’s technology is the result of companies like Microsoft and Google shovelling millions of dollars into projects. Companies are investing in quantum computing at a large scale because they already know of applications to take advantage of its strengths. One such applications is in cryptography, the field concerned with protecting information through code. Quantum computing could be used to dismantle current cryptographic systems, but it could also create amazing ones.
+ The internet relies on cryptography for secure data transfer. Public key cryptography is the most common cryptographic system in use and is based on the idea that finding a large number’s prime factors is computationally difficult, making it harder for hackers to access private information. Quantum computers could, however, pose a threat for cryptography and internet security, since they could potentially guess key combinations very efficiently.
“[I can say with] 75 per cent certainty, something practical [will develop] in 20 years,” Crépeau said. “[But] I could be completely wrong about all that.”
+ “In 50 years, I cannot guarantee public key cryptography will work,” Crépeau said. “In 100, it will probably not work. Quantum secrecy is perfectly valid, […] unless we are completely wrong about quantum physics, which would be a revolution.”
Source: The McGill Tribune. Thomas Bahen, Moving beyond classical computers…
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