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THE LECTURE WILL BE IN A HYBRID FORMAT https://stockholmuniversity.zoom.us/j/61251548309
Shortly after quantum mechanics was first formulated around 1930, it
became evident that it was a strange theory. It took over fifty years,
however, for people to realize just how pervasive its strangeness was.
We have now discovered that information theory, the theory of
computation, and the theory of cryptography all change substantially
when quantum mechanics is taken into account. It turns out that this
strangeness can be used to accomplish tasks with quantum information
processing that are not possible classically. One example of this, and
the one that really drew attention to this phenomenon, was my discovery
that quantum computers could factor large numbers into primes in
manageable time frames, something that would take digital computers
billions of years. Further, the theory of information transmission
changes substantially when information is transmitted over quantum
channels rather than over classical ones. And we have also discovered
cryptographic protocols that use quantum information to perform tasks
that are impossible classically.
I will survey these discoveries, and talk about my recollections of
their development.