Arxiv – Pretending to factor large numbers on a quantum computer – Shor’s algorithm for factoring in polynomial time on a quantum computer gives an enormous advantage over all known classical ...

Shor’s quantum factoring algorithm exponentially outperforms known classical methods. Previous experimental implementations have used simplifications dependent on knowing the factors in advance.

Peter Shor didn’t set out to break the internet. But an algorithm he developed in the mid-1990s threatened to do just that. In a landmark paper, Shor showed how a hypothetical computer that exploited ...