Unconditional correctness of recent quantum algorithms for factoring and computing discrete logarithms
Number Theory
2026-02-11 v2 Computational Complexity
Quantum Physics
Abstract
In 1994, Shor introduced his famous quantum algorithm to factor integers and compute discrete logarithms in polynomial time. In 2023, Regev proposed a multi-dimensional version of Shor's algorithm that requires far fewer quantum gates. His algorithm relies on a number-theoretic conjecture on the elements in that can be written as short products of very small prime numbers. We prove a version of this conjecture using tools from analytic number theory such as zero-density estimates. As a result, we obtain an unconditional proof of correctness of this improved quantum algorithm and of subsequent variants.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2404.16450,
title = {Unconditional correctness of recent quantum algorithms for factoring and computing discrete logarithms},
author = {Cédric Pilatte},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2404.16450},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
To appear in Forum of Mathematics, Pi. Includes a new explanatory section. 25 pages