-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hi all, Sorry if this has already been brought up (I've been skimming through c'punx lately and may have missed it) but does anyone have any comment on this thread (see title). I first read about this in New Scientist (Sept 24th, No 1944). To summarize: Shor came up with an algorithm that could use quantum effects to rapidly factorise large primes. To build such a quantum computer requires manufacturing techniques not yet available, although two other researchers (one is called Eckart) streamlined Shor's algorithm and proposed a design for a "factorization engine" using quantum dot technology. You'd need to put a lot more quantum dots on a chip than is currently possible to build such a device, but the suggestion could be possible in a few years time. the article hinted that Hitachi were already hard at work on the problem. Detractors of the proposed technique say problems of noise and sensitivity to mechanical defects are insurmountable and the technique could never work. I was wondering if anyone here has any comment. After reading the New Scientist article I immediately checked it out in sci.crypt and saw a few articles there (but they weren't on the whole any more enlightening that the New Scientist article). I was wondering if anyone here had any views (informed or otherwise :-) I suppose cypherpunks should keep up with the latest developments (or even possibilities), and where there's quantum cryptanalysis presumably there's also quantum cryptography :-) Sherry ps if anyone is interested I'll try and dig out the references. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6 iQCVAgUBLokdq+Fu4n6w1qeBAQEnQgP+Mcu2NV89WuaZ9gJu5tluDzDDj0eZTj41 fWl/Opdw7mY+EqE+RZyWCHKXCx5ibgupZiAoliOfH9VoACd3aoAFJWb+4sMbPwKS ycb6IhKHKhQQA7Q/wnVUGBb4G4B1ozC/2spCmLM83Nv2mcIzXfo5OlPU6ppg4oRU pIfJzpcB7hM= =iG+g -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----