Quantum Computing Course Description – CSC 5930/9010

Quantum computing is coming – will you be ready?

This course will provide a foundation in quantum computing through hands-on exercises. We’ll learn a bit of physics and math that underlie the strange and surprising world of qubits (quantum bits), entanglement and superposition. Quantum algorithms that rely on these core concepts will be explored and implemented using two different approaches from Microsoft (QDK/Q#) and IBM (Qiskit).

We’ll use what you already know about classical computers (i.e., the ones we’re all using today) as a bridge to understanding how quantum computers work. We’ll see what NISQ (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) computers can do in the near-term, and we’ll look ahead to the exciting applications of fault-tolerant quantum computers in the future. We’ll analyze Google’s 2019 claim of reaching “quantum supremacy.” If you’re curious about quantum computing, this practical approach will help you be prepared to join the quantum workforce and to pursue new opportunities in this rapidly evolving field.

Prerequisites for 5930-001: CSC 1052 and CSC 1300
Prerequisites for 9010-001: Programming experience in one language