That is not how Shor's algorithm works. To factor a number N, Shor's algorithm uses a classical computer to pick a random number a where a < N. A quantum comput

That is not how Shor's algorithm works. To factor a number N, Shor's algorithm uses a classical computer to pick a random number a where a < N. A quantum computer is used to find the period of f(x) = a^x mod N. This Wikipedia entry [0] provides a good overview. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shor%27s_algorithm#Classical_part https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shor%27s_algorithm#Classical_p...