• [$] A more efficient implementation of Shor's algorithm

    From LWN.net@1337:1/100 to All on Friday, April 17, 2026 17:00:07
    [$] A more efficient implementation of Shor's algorithm

    Date:
    Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:53:30 +0000

    Description:
    Shor's algorithm is the main practical example of an algorithm that runs more quickly on a quantum computer than a classical computer at least in theory. Shor's algorithm allows large numbers to be factored
    into their component prime factors quickly.
    In reality, existing quantum computers do not have nearly
    enough memory to factor interesting numbers using Shor's algorithm, despite decades of research. A new paper provides a major step
    in that direction, however. While still impractical on today's quantum computers, the recent discovery
    cuts the amount of memory needed to attack 256-bit elliptic-curve cryptography by a factor of 20. More interesting, however, is that the researchers chose to publish a zero-knowledge proof demonstrating that they know a quantum circuit that shows these improvements, rather than publishing the actual
    knowledge of how to do it.

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    Link to news story:
    https://lwn.net/Articles/1066156/


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