2 - Quantum Computing Has A Purpose! (The Factoring Algorithm)

In the mid-90’s, there was no quantum computing field. There was excitement, sure, but nearly a decade and a half after the conference at MIT Endicott House, the possibilities of marrying physics and computer science had yet to yield a significant technological breakthrough.

That is, until Peter Shor discovered a way to break RSA, the most famous public-key cryptosystem.

Shor’s Algorithm was more than a call to action for a generation of scientists, it was a glimpse of how much faster a quantum machine would be able to crack even the most complex encryption scheme. Sebastian, Abe and Matt sit down with Peter Shor to discuss the discovery of the algorithm, the extraordinary response his work received twenty-five years ago, and what’s next for ensuing generations of scientists and information theorists.

Credits: Co-created and co-hosted by Sebastian Hassinger and Abraham Asfaw. Produced, written, co-hosted and edited by Matt Hooper. Special thanks to the entire IBM Quantum team.