| Computer Science/Discrete Mathematics Seminar II | |
| Topic: | Plug your ears! Graph isomorphism, siren of the algebraic seas, calls to your quantum helmsman. |
| Speaker: | Alex Russell |
| Affiliation: | University of Connecticut |
| Date: | Tuesday, October 2 |
| Time/Room: | 10:30am - 12:30pm/S-101 |
Shor's algorithm, the hallmark quantum algorithmic breakthrough, has been successfully generalized to address a variety of related algebraic problems. Generalizations to nonabelian settings could have striking consequences, but such efforts have been systematically frustrated. This talk describes a rigorous obstruction to such natural generalizations and the connection to Graph Isomorphism. Along the way, we will give a friendly introduction to one of the gems of 19th century mathematics: the representation theory of finite groups.