Fintech veteran and venture capitalist, Arunkumar Krishnakumar, cuts through the hype to bring us a first-hand look into how quantum computing and Blockchain together could redefine industries and life as we know it.
▶Book Description
Are quantum computing and Blockchain on a collision course or will they be the most important trends of this decade to disrupt industries and life as we know it?
Fintech veteran and venture capitalist Arunkumar Krishnakumar cuts through the hype to bring us a first-hand look into how quantum computing and Blockchain together are redefining industries, including fintech, healthcare, and research. Through a series of interviews with domain experts, he also explores these technologies' potential to transform national and global governance and policies – from how elections are conducted and how smart cities can be designed and optimized for the environment, to what cyberwarfare enabled by quantum cryptography might look like. In doing so, he also highlights challenges that these technologies have to overcome to go mainstream.
Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business explores the potential changes that quantum computing and Blockchain might bring about in the real world. After expanding on the key concepts and techniques, such as applied cryptography, qubits, and digital annealing, that underpin quantum computing and Blockchain, the book dives into how major industries will be impacted by these technologies. Lastly, we consider how the two technologies may come together in a complimentary way.
▶What You Will Learn
⦁Gain insights from the experts who are using quantum computing and Blockchain
⦁Discover the implications of these technologies for governance and healthcare
⦁Learn how Blockchain and quantum computing may influence logistics and finance
⦁Understand how these technologies are impacting research in areas such as chemistry
⦁Find out how these technologies may help the environment and influence smart city development
⦁Understand the implications for cybersecurity as these technologies evolve
▶Key Features
⦁Take a practical perspective on quantum computing and Blockchain technologies and their impacts on key industries
⦁Gain insights from experts who are applying quantum computing or Blockchain in their fields
⦁See where quantum computing and Blockchain are heading, and where the two may intersect
▶Who This Book Is For
This book is for tech enthusiasts – developers, architects, managers, consultants, and venture capitalists – working in or interested in the latest developments in quantum computing and blockchain. While the book introduces key ideas, terms, and techniques used in these technologies, the main goal of this book is to prime readers for the practical adoption and applications of these technologies across varies industries and walks of life.
▶What this book covers
⦁ Chapter 1: Introduction to Quantum Computing and Blockchain.
This is the first chapter of this book, where I touch upon the technological concepts that quantum computing and Blockchain are based on. This chapter also provides a brief history of the field of quantum physics over the last century, and how this led to the evolution of quantum computing.
⦁ Chapter 2: Quantum Computing – Key Discussion Points.
This chapter discusses quantum computing terminology and key concepts in greater detail. The purpose of this chapter is to provide the readers an overview of the terms they will see through the rest of this book.
⦁ Chapter 3: The Data Economy.
We live in a data era. Over the last 30 years the internet and the social media boom has helped create a lot of data. This has in turn helped fuel technologies like AI that are reliant on such data. We look at the role that data technologies like AI, Blockchain, IoT, and quantum computing could play in our everyday lives.
⦁ Chapter 4: The Impact on Financial Services.
Financial services is a data-intensive industry. Most financial decisions around portfolio management and risk management are heavily reliant on simulations used by financial institutions. This chapter covers the potential applications of quantum computing on financial services.
⦁ Chapter 5: Interview with Dr. Dave Snelling, Fujitsu Fellow.
An interview with Dave Snelling, the Program Director of AI at Fujitsu and one of the key stakeholders behind their Digital Annealer. Dave brings to life the applications of digital annealers that he is already working on, and the potential future he sees for quantum computers.
⦁ Chapter 6: The Impact on Healthcare and Pharma.
This chapter brings to life applications of quantum computing in the field of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Drug discovery is one of the key areas where the quantum computing could make a big difference. There are applications of Blockchain in the pharma industry that I discuss in this chapter too.
⦁ Chapter 7: Interview with Dr. B. Rajathilagam, Head of AI Research, Amrita Vishwa
Vidyapeetham.
The interview with Dr. B. Rajathilagam (BRT) gives us a view of the use cases for quantum computing and Blockchain in the emerging markets. BRT brings to fore her firsthand knowledge of the on-the-ground challenges for villages in India.
⦁ Chapter 8: The Impact on Governance.
Elections are largely becoming testing grounds for AI and data science technologists. It could be a new future where election results could be accurately modeled using technologies such as quantum computing. This chapter explores the possibilities of the technology in future elections.
⦁ Chapter 9: Interview with Max Henderson, Senior Data Scientist, Rigetti and QxBranch.
Max and his team at QxBranch modeled the 2016 American elections using quantum computing, and achieved a high degree of precision with their predictions. This interview covers Max's experience in doing so, his observations, and lessons learned from the process.
⦁ Chapter 10: The Impact on Smart Cities and Environment.
We live in a world that is being affected by climate change and is in a climate emergency. This chapter looks at ways we could create smart cities using technology that can not only make our lives better, but can also help us to live more sustainably.
⦁ Chapter 11: Interview with Sam McArdle, Quantum Computing Researcher at the
University of Oxford.
One of the biggest challenges with quantum computers is the limited ability we have in correcting errors. In this chapter, I discuss these challenges with Sam McArdle, who is researching NISQ at Oxford University. Sam explains why error correction in quantum computers is such a hard task. He also touches upon the possibilities of using NISQ in fields like Chemistry.
⦁ Chapter 12: The Impact on Chemistry.
Quantum computing is based on the principles of quantum mechanics that describes the behavior of sub-atomic particles. This is precisely why Chemistry is a very fitting application for quantum computers. In this chapter I discuss how quantum computers can be used to model the interactions between molecules during a chemical reaction.
⦁ Chapter 13: The Impact on Logistics.
Logistics problems have been challenging for classical computers to solve. In this chapter I discuss how quantum computing can help solve some of the real-world problems in logistics. I also discuss the work firms like Airbus is doing to improve aerodynamics of their flights. On the Blockchain side, I explain the use of the technology within the supply chain and the efficiencies it can add to supply chains.
⦁ Chapter 14: Interview with Dinesh Nagarajan, Partner, IBM.
Dinesh is a cyber security expert and a partner at IBM. In this chapter we discuss how technology innovation has helped enrich people's lives across the world and the cyber risks that it has brought to the table. We also discuss how firms and nation states can be more agile from a cryptographic perspective to face the threat posed by the new era in computing.
⦁ Chapter 15: Quantum-Safe Blockchain.
In this chapter we talk about the elephant in the room. Is Blockchain under threat in a post quantum era? We take a step further to touch upon how data transmission on the internet could be at risk because of quantum computing. We also look at various cryptographic techniques that are quantum ready and how they can help us protect our data.
⦁ Chapter 16: Nation States and Cyberwars.
What would a country do if it was equipped with a technology that can be used to take control of most encrypted data in the world? How close are we to getting to that reality? Is that even a possibility we should be prepared for? These are the questions I address in the chapter about nation states and their efforts to dominate the data technology world. Several billion dollars have been allocated for technologies such as AI, Blockchain, and quantum computing by countries that want to dominate this space.
⦁ Chapter 17: Conclusion – Blue Skies.
A closure chapter summarizing the key takeaways from the book. I discuss the learning from the interviews and my thoughts on the comments from the experts I interviewed. I conclude with my views on the hype around quantum computing and how that could affect the direction of travel of the ecosystem. I note the efforts from top nations across the world to gain dominance in this space. I conclude by providing my views on the possibilities of this amazing technology – quantum computing.
