Peter Shor is an American mathematician and computer scientist best known for his groundbreaking work in quantum computing. He developed the Shor's algorithm, which can efficiently factor large integers, a task that is difficult for classical computers. This discovery has significant implications for cryptography, particularly for systems that rely on the difficulty of factoring as a security measure. Shor was born on August 14, 1951, in New York City. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1981 and has held positions at various prestigious institutions, including MIT. His contributions to the field of quantum information science have earned him numerous awards and recognition within the scientific community.