2.
Quantum Computing: Principles and Algorithms
Overview:
Quantum computing utilizes the principles of quantum mechanics to process
information in fundamentally different ways than classical computers. This could
potentially revolutionize fields like cryptography, optimization, and simulations
of quantum systems.
Details:
Quantum Bits (Qubits): Unlike classical bits, which can either be 0 or 1, qubits
can exist in multiple states simultaneously, thanks to superposition. This
parallelism provides the computational power of quantum systems.
Entanglement: A phenomenon where qubits become correlated in ways that classical
bits cannot, enabling them to affect each other even over long distances. This
plays a key role in quantum speedup.
Quantum Gates: Operations on qubits, such as the Hadamard gate and CNOT gate, which
manipulate qubits in ways that don't have classical analogs.
Quantum Algorithms: Key algorithms such as Shor’s algorithm for factoring large
numbers (which would impact cryptography) and Grover's algorithm for searching an
unsorted database in fewer steps than classical algorithms.
Quantum Error Correction: Due to decoherence and noise, quantum computers require
sophisticated error-correction schemes, like surface codes, to ensure reliable
computation.