From: "James A. Donald" <jamesd@echeque.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 07:30:19 +0800
To: Jim Choate <cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: Re: FCPUNX:comp.html
Message-ID: <199802102310.PAA18375@proxy3.ba.best.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



    --
At 03:14 PM 1/28/98 -0600, Jim Choate wrote:
>   Recently, an algorithm was developed for factoring
>   numbers on a quantum computer which runs in steps where
>   is small [1]. This is roughly quadratic in the input
>   size, so factoring a 1000 digit number with such an
>   algorithm would require only a few million steps. The 
>   implication is that public key cryptosystems based on
>   factoring may be breakable.

However quantum computers so far envisaged (but not yet
built) can only do a few steps before they lose quantum 
coherence.

So far factoring a four bit number is well beyond the state
of the art in quantum computation. 

    --digsig
         James A. Donald
     6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG
     W7fOL2Uec3TpIWpLT+xcgrKGVfoQL3gmNdcADrkN
     41SXVwnn/Gy+C42ptPxygaLgt1miSt2a1T/6/b9p8
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We have the right to defend ourselves and our property, because of 
the kind of animals that we are. True law derives from this right, 
not from the arbitrary power of the state.

http://www.jim.com/jamesd/