Quantum cryptanalysis

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Workshop: Quantum cryptanalysis, session 1 & 2

Date and time: Wednesday, July 9, 1–4pm

Location: QNC 1201

Instructor: Dr. Vlad Gheorghiu and Professor Sam Jaques

Sessions 1 & 2 are now being taught within a 3-hour window on the same day.

This lecture will cover the main cryptographic attacks from quantum computers, i.e. Shor's algorithm and Grover's algorithm. We will focus on the practical difficulties we expect in implementing these algorithms.
 
The first half of the lecture will focus on Shor's algorithm and the near-term threat to today's cryptography. We will discuss what cryptography breaks, how it works, and some of the real-world constraints of error correction, layout, and circuit design.
 
The second half will consider quantum attacks against cryptography, which are presumed to be quantum-safe. We will describe Grover's algorithm and discuss some issues, like parallelization and circuit design. Next, we will describe some more interesting applications of Grover's algorithm to attack specific cryptography, and the debates around these algorithms, especially around quantum memory.

Please register while seating is available.