It would factorize large numbers into their prime number counterparts exponentially faster than possible with a classical computer.6
In 1982, the physicist and 1957 Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman discussed a machine that would operate on quantum mechanical principles to simulate the behavior of one quantum system using another quantum system - a quantum simulator.4 In 1985, David Deutsch of oxford University further advanced the field by proposing a quantum Turing machine (based on the pioneering work of Alan Turing on what constitutes a general computer) and specified an algorithm designed to run on a quantum computer.5 Beyond the realm of researchers in quantum physics and theoretical computer science, the field really took off in the mid-90s. In 1994, the mathematician Peter Shor proposed an algorithm for a real world "killer application" of quantum computers. It would factorize large numbers into their prime number counterparts exponentially faster than possible with a classical computer.6