Ewin Tang – What are quantum computers good for?

Abstract:
Quantum computers—computers which exploit quantum mechanics—are poised to reshape the landscape of computation. But understanding when ‘quantum’ can help speed up algorithmic tasks is tricky, particularly for those tasks which have the greatest potential for real-world impact. In this talk, I will survey my work in quantum algorithms to understand where quantum computers will be useful. I will argue that this research can shed light, not only on quantum computation, but also on its proposed applications.

Bio:
Ewin Tang is a second-year postdoctoral fellow at the Miller Institute at UC Berkeley, broadly interested in quantum algorithms and quantum systems. She received her PhD at the University of Washington, advised by James Lee, where she worked on investigating quantum speedups for machine learning. Her work has been awarded plenary talks and best student paper at QIP; been featured in Quanta magazine; and in 2019 she was named Forbes 30 Under 30 in science.

Details

• Date: Thursday, February 13
• Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am
• Category: Special Seminar
• Location: Grier A 34-401A

Host

• Vinod Vaikuntanathan
• Email: chadcoll@mit.edu