Location BA 1200 - Recruitment Talk
The field of quantum computing has changed the way we think about information and computation. When Peter Shor discovered a polynomial-time quantum algorithm for factoring in 1994, it wasn’t just cryptography that was profoundly affected; he showed that the very notion of efficient computation extended much further than previously thought. Similarly, the study of quantum information continues to reveal ways in which quantum phenomena such as entanglement (a.k.a. Einstein’s “spooky action at a distance”) can be harnessed to perform information processing tasks that are impossible in a classical world.
In this talk, I will discuss my work in finding some answers to the following thematic questions: how does quantum information shape what can be efficiently computed? How can we use quantum information not just to break cryptosystems, but also to create secure ones? How can we exploit quantum entanglement for novel computational and cryptographic tasks? Along the way, I will highlight how the quantum computing lens gives new perspective on some of the deepest mysteries in computer science, physics, and mathematics.
This talk is aimed at a general audience; no background in quantum computing and quantum information will be assumed.
Henry Yuen is currently a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on the rich interplay between theoretical computer science, cryptography, and quantum information theory. Henry obtained his Ph.D. in 2016 from MIT, where he was a Simons Graduate Fellow in Theoretical Computer Science.