USC Dornsife College Receives $6 Million Simons Grant Renewal for Quantum Computing and AI Research
The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences has received a $6 million grant renewal from the Simons Foundation. This funding will support an international research collaboration, led by Professor Aaron Lauda, for another three years, bringing the foundation's total investment in the project to $14 million. USC will receive over $2 million of the new funding. The collaboration, established in 2023 as the Simons Collaboration on New Structures in Low-Dimensional Topology, explores the connections between knot mathematics, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence. Researchers are investigating how the mathematics of knots can help prevent errors in quantum computers, particularly through the use of 'anyons' and their 'braids.' They have also explored how AI can tackle complex mathematical problems, such as the Andrews–Curtis conjecture, and are studying four-dimensional spaces beyond spacetime.
