Book Image

Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business

By : Arunkumar Krishnakumar
Book Image

Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business

By: Arunkumar Krishnakumar

Overview of this book

Are quantum computing and Blockchain on a collision course or will they be the most important trends of this decade to disrupt industries and life as we know it? Fintech veteran and venture capitalist Arunkumar Krishnakumar cuts through the hype to bring us a first-hand look into how quantum computing and Blockchain together are redefining industries, including fintech, healthcare, and research. Through a series of interviews with domain experts, he also explores these technologies’ potential to transform national and global governance and policies – from how elections are conducted and how smart cities can be designed and optimized for the environment, to what cyberwarfare enabled by quantum cryptography might look like. In doing so, he also highlights challenges that these technologies have to overcome to go mainstream. Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business explores the potential changes that quantum computing and Blockchain might bring about in the real world. After expanding on the key concepts and techniques, such as applied cryptography, qubits, and digital annealing, that underpin quantum computing and Blockchain, the book dives into how major industries will be impacted by these technologies. Lastly, we consider how the two technologies may come together in a complimentary way.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
5
Interview with Dr. Dave Snelling, Fujitsu Fellow
7
Interview with Dr. B. Rajathilagam, Head of AI Research, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
9
Interview with Max Henderson, Senior Data Scientist, Rigetti and QxBranch
11
Interview with Sam McArdle, Quantum Computing Researcher at the University of Oxford
14
Interview with Dinesh Nagarajan, Partner, IBM
18
Other Books You May Enjoy
19
Index

Is there hype?

The principles of quantum mechanics that quantum computing relies on have been around for more than a century. The idea of quantum computers, as we discussed in the early chapters of this book, was introduced in the 1980s by Richard Feynman. Since then, every time there was a groundbreaking algorithm like Shor's or Grover's algorithms, it has added to the hype.

On a similar note, where there has been a proof of concept conducted successfully like China's quantum satellite initiative (Micius), optimism goes through the roof. That's just the way human beings are wired to react due to the increased dopamine levels arising from the newness of these inventions. That is also what keeps the ecosystem optimistic and in the hunt for new breakthroughs, despite the odds.

Recall my interview with Dave Snelling, and the picture he drew for me:

G:\My Drive\Books\Quantum Chain\Book\Chapters\Pics\GraphIllustration-Final-01.jpg

Figure 1: A rough drawing by Dave Snelling, explaining the trends in annealing

Very much like the field...