▁did ▁not ▁attempt ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁classical ▁solution , ▁and ▁the ▁task ▁assigned ▁to ▁Tang ▁by ▁A ar ons on ▁was ▁to ▁prove ▁its ▁non ▁existence . ▁ ▁As ▁he ▁said , ▁" that ▁seemed ▁to ▁[ him ] ▁like ▁an ▁important ▁' t ' ▁to ▁cross ▁to ▁complete ▁this ▁story ". ▁Before ▁Tang ' s ▁research ▁was ▁made ▁public , ▁she ▁and ▁A ar ons on ▁attended ▁a ▁quantum ▁computing ▁work shop ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁where ▁Tang ▁presented ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁an ▁audience ▁that ▁included ▁K eren id is ▁and ▁P rak ash ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁After ▁four ▁hours ▁of ▁question ing , ▁the ▁cons ensus ▁was ▁that ▁Tang ' s ▁classical ▁algorithm ▁seemed ▁correct . ▁The ▁recommendation ▁problem ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁projects ▁offered ▁by ▁A ar ons on , ▁which ▁was ▁chosen ▁rel uct antly ▁by ▁Tang : ▁" I ▁was ▁hes it ant ▁because ▁it ▁seemed ▁like ▁a ▁hard ▁problem ▁when ▁I ▁looked ▁at ▁it , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁easiest ▁of ▁the ▁problems ▁he ▁gave ▁me ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁Tang ▁was ▁named ▁as ▁a ▁University ▁of ▁Texas ▁at ▁Austin ▁Dean ' s ▁Hon ored ▁Gr adu ate ▁in ▁computer ▁science , ▁having ▁maintained ▁a ▁ 4 . 0 ▁grade - point ▁average . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁Tang ▁began ▁her ▁Ph . D . ▁in ▁theoretical ▁computer ▁science ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington