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

Superposition

Superposition is one of the properties that differentiates a quantum computer from a classical computer. The qubits of a quantum computer can exist in 0s and 1s and linear combinations of both of these states. A quantum computer can achieve a special kind of superposition that allows for exponentially more logical states at once. This helps in solving problems such as factoring large numbers, which is typically hard for classical computers to solve. Classical computers are limited in terms of their ability to model the number of permutations and combinations that cryptography needs.

An example of the application of quantum computers in cryptography involves RSA encryption. RSA encryption involves two large prime numbers being multiplied to arrive at a larger number. The following examples should bring these challenges to life.

An exponential challenge

The story of the chessboard and rice brings to life the challenges in dealing with the exponential...