A lot of people may be wondering what quantum computing is. Lucky for them, there is a free public lecture series that will discuss what quantum computers are and how they might shape the future world.
According to a recent press release, the School of Computer Science at New Zealand’s University of Auckland will host all the lectures while the final panel discussion will be live-streamed, reaching more viewers.
The Gibbons Lectures is an annual series of talks that aim to describe the detailed developments in a particular research area to a general but technical audience.
Anyone from Computer Science students at all levels to IT practitioners in other departments and outside the University can be an audience.
What are quantum computers?
Quantum computers are extremely complex machines that challenge almost everything that are known about computing.
Given their complexity, they are hard to understand thereby making it difficult to understand their limits.
It is claimed that quantum computers can crack all modern security algorithms and do immediate pattern recognition.
It has a number of implications not only for computing but also for the wider society. One of which is the provision of the opportunity to build new algorithms.
It also gives the chance to rethink a lot of what has gone before.
Lecture schedule
The first lecture begins on 8 May 2019 which focuses on what quantum computing is and comparing it to that of traditional computing.
There are currently three types of quantum computer that are being proposed of being built and are being promoted by big-name companies.
The second lecture will come a week after, on 15 May 2019. The lecture will discuss how quantum computers will be able to break some of the widely-used online security systems.
Moreover, it will also discuss which systems are potentially most vulnerable.
The lecture on 22 May 2019 will be led by a visiting Professor from the Centre of Quantum Software and Information at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
His lecture will focus on the challenges involved in developing and building quantum processors, work that fundamentally pushes the limits of physics, engineering and computer science.
A panel discussion will wrap the whole series up and is scheduled on 29 May 2019. The panel will be looking at the future of quantum computing.
The Past and the Future
The prestige of these lectures and their permanence depends on establishing a permanent source of funding.
To address this, the University’s School of Computer Science has established a fund that will be built up to provide support.
Lectures from previous years have dealt with topics that include robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), medical applications of information technology (IT), human-computer interaction, and privacy and security in the information age, among others.