Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business

Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business

by Arunkumar Krishnakumar
Released March 2020
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781838647766

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Book description

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.

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

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

  • Understand the fundamentals of quantum computing and Blockchain
  • 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

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.

Table of contents

  1. Preface
    1. Who this book is for
    2. What this book covers
      1. Download the color images
      2. Conventions used
    3. Get in touch
      1. Reviews
  2. Introduction to Quantum Computing and Blockchain
    1. What this book does
    2. An introduction to quantum computing
    3. The history of quantum mechanics
      1. Einstein's quantum troubles
      2. Bell's inequality
      3. Quantum computers – a fancy idea
        1. Déjà vu
    4. The weirdness of quantum
      1. A scary experiment
        1. Einstein's photons – weirder now
    5. Inside a quantum computer
      1. Qubit types and properties
    6. Blockchain and cryptography
      1. Hashing
        1. The bitcoin hash
      2. Mining a bitcoin
      3. A block
      4. Proof of work
      5. Transactions
      6. Utility versus security token
    7. Conclusion
    8. References
  3. Quantum Computing – Key Discussion Points
    1. Superposition
      1. An exponential challenge
      2. The five coins puzzle
    2. Entanglement – spooky action at a distance
      1. Bloch sphere
      2. Shor's algorithm
      3. Grover's algorithm
      4. Quantum annealing
        1. Quantum tunneling
        2. The traveling salesman
      5. Decoherence
      6. Quantum Error Correction
    3. Conclusion
    4. References
  4. The Data Economy
    1. The internet
      1. The ARPANET
      2. TCP/IP
      3. The boom, the bust, and the boom
    2. Social media
    3. Big data
      1. Structured data processing
      2. Unstructured data processing
      3. Big data architecture
      4. The cloud
    4. Artificial intelligence
      1. Origins of AI
      2. The imitation game
      3. Avatars of AI
    5. Blockchain
    6. Decentralization
      1. Immutability
      2. Traceability
    7. Quantum computing
    8. Conclusion
    9. References
  5. The Impact on Financial Services
    1. Quantum computing applications
      1. Market risk
      2. Credit risk
      3. Technology limitations
      4. Quantum-Inspired Digital Annealing
      5. Quantum annealing
      6. Dynamic portfolio selection
      7. ATM replenishment
    2. Blockchain applications
      1. Anti-money-laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC)
      2. Trade finance
      3. Remittance
        1. A SWIFT experiment
        2. Retail remittance
      4. Central Bank-backed digital currency
      5. Security tokens
    3. Conclusion
  6. Interview with Dr. Dave Snelling, Fujitsu Fellow
    1. Conclusion
    2. References
  7. The Impact on Healthcare and Pharma
    1. The rally for innovation
      1. The AI doctor
      2. Last mile healthcare
      3. Cancer diagnosis and treatment
      4. Drug discovery
      5. Blockchain in healthcare
      6. Insurance
      7. Pharmaceutical supply chains
      8. Healthcare data exchanges
      9. Research governance
    2. Conclusion
  8. Interview with Dr. B. Rajathilagam, Head of AI Research, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
    1. Conclusion
  9. The Impact on Governance
    1. Social media in politics
    2. Election modeling
    3. Quantum machine learning
      1. Boltzmann machine
      2. QxBranch election model
      3. Primary experiment
    4. Blockchain, governance, and elections
      1. Governance models
        1. On-chain governance
        2. Benevolent dictator for life
        3. Core development team
        4. Open governance
      2. Smart Dubai
      3. e-Estonia
      4. Estonia and e-Residency
      5. The Vienna token
      6. United Nations and refugees
    5. Conclusion
  10. Interview with Max Henderson, Senior Data Scientist, Rigetti and QxBranch
    1. Conclusion
  11. The Impact on Smart Cities and Environment
    1. So why do I care?
    2. Smart cities
      1. Smart parking
      2. Traffic management
      3. City planning
      4. Waste collection
    3. Climate modeling
      1. Biogeography
      2. Atmospheric circulation
      3. Ocean currents
      4. Earth's tilt
      5. Quantum computing solutions
    4. Conclusion
  12. Interview with Sam McArdle, Quantum Computing Researcher at the University of Oxford
    1. Conclusion
  13. The Impact on Chemistry
    1. Nitrogen fixation
    2. Carbon capture
    3. NISQ and chemistry
    4. Blockchain in chemistry
      1. Fostering an industry ecosystem
      2. Disaster recovery
    5. Conclusion
  14. The Impact on Logistics
    1. Traffic management systems
    2. The Airbus quantum computing challenge
    3. Quantum networks
      1. Data security
    4. Blockchain in logistics
      1. Tracking goods
      2. The food supply chain
      3. Sustainable supply chains
      4. Transport
      5. Vehicle manufacturing
    5. Conclusion
  15. Interview with Dinesh Nagarajan, Partner, IBM
    1. Conclusion
  16. Quantum-Safe Blockchain
    1. A race against time
      1. The RSA algorithm
      2. ECC
    2. Does quantum computing mean chaos?
      1. Quantum-Safe Cryptography
        1. Lattice-Based Cryptography
        2. Code-Based Cryptography
        3. Blockchain Cryptography
    3. Security in a post-quantum world
      1. eXtended Merkle Signature Scheme (XMSS)
      2. Blockchain Post Quantum Signatures (BPQS)
      3. Winternitz One-Time Signatures (W-OTS)
    4. Conclusion
  17. Nation States and Cyberwars
    1. When growth can be dangerous
    2. Fertile grounds
    3. Age of the machine
    4. The cyber arms race
      1. United States
      2. China leading the world
      3. Europe and the United Kingdom
    5. The hype surrounding quantum networks
    6. Conclusion
  18. Conclusion – Blue Skies
    1. Is there hype?
    2. Is there merit?
      1. Healthcare
      2. Financial services
      3. Logistics
      4. Climate
      5. Elections
    3. A bumpy road ahead
    4. The collision course
    5. Nation states and ecosystems
    6. The sky is blue
  19. Other Books You May Enjoy
  20. Index

Product information

  • Title: Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business
  • Author(s): Arunkumar Krishnakumar
  • Release date: March 2020
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781838647766