Deep Dive: Quantum computing algorithms and applications
The principles of quantum mechanics theoretically enable quantum computers to deploy more efficient algorithms at a larger scale than existing technology. Quantum computers expand the type of problems that can be solved efficiently and could revolutionise computing for optimisation, simulation, machine learning and cryptography problems.
Full-scale devices that can implement algorithms with provable quantum speedup are estimated to arrive in the 2030s. Until then, practitioners will have a range of heuristic algorithms available with each step change in quantum hardware.
World leaders are recognising the importance of acting now because, in the not too distant future, quantum computers could disrupt the integrity of historical data, processes and systems.