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Quantum computing doesn’t have to be hard. There are now so many resources available on the web that can help learners understand quantum computing fundamentals. So whether you are interested in Quantum Computing, Cryptography or the Quantum Internet, there are now plenty of courses available online, often for free. Here we take a look at a course on EdX which is aimed at everyone.
EdX has a new course series called Quantum Computing for everyone. The course is in two parts. Part 1 and Part 2, taught by the university of Santa Barbara and University of Chicago covers many topics which are listed below (for part 1):
- An introduction to Optimization (setting the scene as to why quantum computers might be useful, we particularly like this take as an initial motivation).
- A short intro into Encryption. Many people will have heard of Shor’s algorithm and the promise of being able to break cryptographic schemes given enough horsepower. Here the basics of encryption are covered.
- Quantum Hardware. There are plenty of rival hardware qubits out there fighting it out for top dog. Whatever the flavour of qubit becomes dominant (if just one), learning about how qubits come into “being” is certainly useful.
- Quantum Operations. In gate based quantum computing, operations are applied to quantum states – just like the addition operator or the “NOT” operator. Understanding how these operators work on quantum states is fundamental to the understanding of quantum computing.
- Super-position. Understanding how quantum states can exist in this “super posed” state is one of the very strange but crucial important aspects of quantum computing.
- Probability. You’ll also get a basic understanding of probability and how this relates to measurement of quantum states.
- Bra Ket Notation. One of the key aspects of the quantum is that there is a new mathematical language that one uses to describe quantum states – something called Bra Ket notation.
- Entanglement. Another crucial property of quantum systems, you can explore how entanglement occurs and what it actually means. Like superposition – these are some of the properties that make quantum systems very different from classical systems.
- Algorithms. You’ll also be introduced to quantum algorithms: namely the Oracle algorithm.
If you’d like to take a look at the course on EdX (part 1), you can here. We often cover lots of courses on quantum computing and resources. We also have published a load of free resources to help you learn too.
