"The famous quantum factoring algorithm of Peter Shor may or may not be a galactic algorithm. It is of course one of the great results in theory, ever. It has sparked funding for research centers on quantum computation that have promoted many other advances.

If and when practical quantum computers are built Peter’s algorithm will be one of the first algorithms run on them. Right now it is a galactic algorithm. But, perhaps it is the best example of the importance of galactic algorithms."