Quantum vs.
DNA Computing
In search for new computing methods
Petros Gkourasas
[email protected]
What Is this all about?
Rise of the machines.
1947 – “Six electronic computers would be enough for the
computing needs of the U.S.A.”
Need for more computing power.
Science, Education, etc
Search for a new computing medium.
DNA or Quantum Computing
Is this feasible?
An overview.
Quantum Computing in a nutshell
DNA Computing review.
Theories & Applications for both methods
A comparison
Some thoughts
Parting words.
Maybe Q&A
Quantum Computing
“ A quantum computer is any device that
exploits quantum mechanical phenomena
to run algorithms”
- Geekwise.com
Quantum Computing: History
1981 - Paul Benioff, the first
1982 - Richard Feynman, realized that
some quantum mechanic simulations can
not be performed efficiently on a regular
computer
1985 - David Deutsch. Description of a
universal quantum machine
Quantum Computing: History (2)
1994 - Peter Shor, achieving polynomial time in
factorization of integers made possible.
1996 - Lov Grover and quantum database
search algorithm
1998 - 2001 - 2q, 3q, 5q, 7qbit computers, and
execution of Shors’ factoring algorithm
2005 - 2006 - More Innovations.
Quantum Computing: Intro
Quantum phenomena?
Superposition
• Bits vs Qubits
(0 or 1) vs (0 or 1) or (0 and 1)
Quantum parallelism: result of superposition
Entanglement: allows us to know the spin of the
opposite particle upon measurement.
Intro(2): Interference
Interference: results can interfere since quantum computing can
calculate multiple inputs at same time.
Interference is utilized by
quantum algorithms
The result from each
calculation of a universe will
constructively and
destructively interfere to give
measurable result
Different significance for
different algorithms
Intro(3): Decoherence
Tendency for qubit to fall back to one of
either 0 or 1 state
This happens upon measurement, making
solutions really hard to extract.
Why?
Intro(4): Strengths
Massive parallelism
Because of coherent superposition
2^(#of qubit) calculations at the same time!
Faster than the speed of light
Entanglement: setting the spin of one particle
instantaneously allows us to know spin of other.
Great for storage!
Quantum Computing: Future
David DiVincenzo, of IBM, listed the following
requirements for a practical quantum computer:
scalable physically to increase the number of
qubits
qubits can be initialized to arbitrary values
quantum gates faster than decoherence time
Turing-complete gate set
qubits can be read easily
DNA Computing
“ DNA computing is a form of computing
which uses DNA and molecular biology,
instead of the traditional silicon-based
computer technologies”
-Wikipedia.com
DNA Computing: History
1994 – L. Adleman solves Hamiltonian Path
Problem
1995 – Boneh et al. paper on cracking DES
using molecular computer
1997 – Rochester U. Team developed logic
gates using DNA.
Many researchers have tried to follow Adlemans
example.
DNA Computing: Intro
Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Contains four different bases A, T, G, C
Bases are complimentary and are responsible for the
formation of the double helix.
Strengths
Faster than classical computer systems
Greater storage capacity
Massive parallelism
Lightweight
• 1Lb gives us more computing power than all the computers
ever made.
DNA Computing: Future
Many promising algorithms.
Lack of knowledge hinders progression
However, small and encouraging steps are
being made
2000 – development of gold plate applied with DNA
Theories
We will be looking at two algorithms
dealing with:
Cryptography
Data storage searching ( databases )
Quantum Computing
Cryptography: breaking RSA (Shor, P.
1995).
Example: factor of number 15.
Cryptography – Shor – stage 1
8 different universes
All calculations are
performed in parallel,
one in each universe
Cryptography – Shor – stage 2
N is the number we wish to
factorise, N = 15
X is randomly chosen, where
1 < X < N-1
X is raised to the power
contained in the register
(register A) and then divided
by N
The remainder from this
operation is placed in a second
4 bit register (register B).
Cryptography – Shor – stage 2
0 1
1 2
2 4
3 8
4 1
5 2
Repeating values of 6 4
1, 2, 4, 8, all with 7 8
8 1
frequency f = 4. 9 2
10 4
11 8
12 1
13 2
14 4
15 8
Cryptography – Shor – stage 3
f, can be found using
a quantum computer.
We use interference
to dispose cancel out
values
Equation calculates
possible value.
Grover’s Search algorithm
Similar to Shors’ algorithm
The information is in a register under
superposition.
Interference cancels out wrong answers
Grover: “It’s like throwing stones in water, and let
the ripples cancel out”.
Grover’s Search algorithm (2)
Possible to perform search in root N
searches
The speed up that this algorithm provides
is a result of quantum parallelism.
The database is effectively distributed over
a multitude of universes, allowing a single
search to locate the required entry.
Grover’s Search algorithm (3)
Application in cryptography as well.
Theoretically possible to break DES
Approximately 185 search cases vs. 2^55
on a regular computer.
Problems
Shors’ algorithm is probabilistic
Grovers’ algorithm is theoretically
applicable to breaking DES
Technological issues:
laser that manipulates qubit, fluctuates.
dealing with decoherence.
DNA Computing
Following Joshs’ presentation in class it
was said that RSA was on a “Provable
security” level.
Algorithm for breaking DES with DNA computing.
Plan of attack [ Joshs’ presentation ]
Oscar chooses some plaintext P and encrypts it using the DES
circuit to obtain ciphertext C0
Oscar wants to find the key k0 used in the circuit
For every possible key ki (256 possibilities) Oscar creates a
strand kiCi, where Ci is the ciphertext resulting from performing
the encryption on P with potential key ki
Similar to traveling salesman problem where Adleman generated
all possible paths [Adleman 1994]
Oscar now has a soup Tf containing 256 strands
The strand for which Ci = C0 has the correct key ki
Problems
DNA computing is mostly theoretical
No killer app has been found.
DNA can solve most problems a typical
computer can solve, not always more
efficiently though
Solutions
It seems that we are waiting for some
advances in technology.
Increase of knowledge on biological field,
and of biological operations, would aid
progression.
Funding wouldn’t be bad either
Problems: A Comparison
Quantum Computing is not as theoretical
Quantum Computing does have a killer app.
“factorization of large numbers in polynomial
time”
We have more knowledge on how quantum
mechanics work, rather than how biological
operation work.
In all fairness, quantum gets more funding.
Some thoughts (my own)
There is a need for more computational power
Both are excellent means of computation
Viable alternatives to todays electronic computers
Don’t see them as competitive disciplines
They compliment each other
• DNA focuses on storage capacity
• Quantum on speed
Future would be interesting to see!
Questions?
References
Geewise.com
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-
aquantumcomputer.htm?referrer=adwords_campaign=quantumcomputer_ad=027381&_search_k
w=quantum%20computing
How stuff works.
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/quantum-computer.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=dna-
computer.htm&url=http://www.news.wisc.edu/view.html?id=3542
An Introduction to Quantum Computing for Non-Physicists
Authors: Eleanor G. Rieffel, Wolfgang Polak
Date (v1): Tue, 8 Sep 1998 19:02:58 GMT (47kb)
Date (revised v2): Wed, 19 Jan 2000 01:48:39 GMT (67kb)
A Brief History of Quantum Computing
By Simon Bone and Matias Castro
http://www.doc.ic.ac.uk/~nd/surprise_97/journal/vol4/spb3/
An Introduction in Quantum Computing.
http://www.cs.caltech.edu/~westside/quantum-intro.html
References (2)
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_quantum_computing
Microsoft @ quantum computing.
http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~jmhoward/RESEARCH/QC-1.ppt
Caltech
http://www.theory.caltech.edu/~quic/errors.html
Grover L.K.: A fast quantum mechanical algorithm for database search, Proceedings, 28th Annual
ACM Symposium on the Theory of Computing, (May 1996)
Bennett C.H., Bernstein E., Brassard G., Vazirani U., The strengths and weaknesses of quantum
computation. SIAM Journal on Computing
Polynomial-Time Algorithms for Prime Factorization and Discrete Logarithms on a Quantum Computer,
Peter W. Shor
http://tech.suramya.com/dna_computing/
