QUANTUM COMPUTING FUNDAMENTALS

Course Description

This student-led colloquium will introduce students to the fundamentals of quantum computing, focusing primarily on theoretical notions of quantum computation, and some applications. This interdisciplinary course is geared towards computing, math, and physics students. A tentative list of topics includes:

- Qubits and their representations
- Basic quantum gates (Pauli-X, Pauli-Y, Pauli-Z, Hadamard, CNOT)
- Quantum circuits
- Basic quantum algorithms (Shor’s algorithm, Grover’s algorithm, etc.)
- Selected topics in quantum computing: quantum key distribution and quantum error correction
- Intro to quantum programming using Qiskit

If time permits, we will also discuss special topics such as topological quantum computing and entanglement in quantum computing.

This course allows students to learn the theory behind quantum computing and apply their knowledge through Qiskit programming. Students will be expected to complete two small assignments throughout the quarter (one programming and one theory), and a project + presentation at the end of the quarter.

This is a student-led colloquium led by Lana Azar under the supervision of Prabhanjan Ananth.