If the two numbers each have N digits, that's N 2 (or N x N) multiplications altogether. In the example above, N is 3, and we had to do 3 2 = 9 multiplications.

For example, an algorithm to add three numbers can have two steps: add the first two numbers in the first step and the result to the third number in the second step.

Mathematicians have reportedly discovered a new way of multiplying two numbers together. The new technique is for really large numbers, and if it passes a peer-review, could be the fastest ...

Ultimately, the new approach works because of how it encodes information. Classical computers use bits, which can take one of two values. Qubits, the quantum equivalent, can take on multiple values, ...