Quantum computing is a rapidly evolving technology that promises to revolutionize how we solve complex problems, offering new opportunities and challenges for businesses across various industries. For professionals, grasping the basics of quantum computing and its potential implications is essential for strategic planning and innovation.
Quantum Computing Primers
Quantum Computing 101
Quantum computing is a rapidly evolving technology that promises to revolutionize how we solve complex problems, offering new opportunities and challenges for businesses across various industries. For professionals, grasping the basics of quantum computing and its potential implications is essential for strategic planning and innovation.
At its core, quantum computing uses the principles of quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that describes the behavior of energy and material on atomic and subatomic levels. Unlike classical computers, which use bits (0s and 1s) to process information, quantum computers use quantum bits or qubits. Qubits have the unique property of being able to exist in multiple states simultaneously, thanks to quantum phenomena known as superposition and entanglement. This allows quantum computers to process a vast amount of information at once, making them potentially much more powerful than classical computers for specific tasks.
What is Superposition?
Superposition refers to the ability of quantum bits, or qubits, to exist in multiple states simultaneously. Unlike classical bits, which are definitively either 0 or 1, a qubit can be in a state that is a blend of both 0 and 1 until it is measured. This characteristic allows a single qubit to perform multiple calculations at once. When scaled up to a system of multiple qubits, the computational power increases exponentially, enabling quantum computers to analyze vast datasets and solve complex problems much more quickly than classical computers. Superposition forms the basis of quantum parallelism, where a quantum computer can process many computational paths simultaneously.
What is Entanglement?
Entanglement is another quantum phenomenon that plays a critical role in the power of quantum computing. When qubits become entangled, the state of one qubit will instantaneously affect the state of another, no matter how far apart they are. This means that the information contained in one qubit is directly correlated with the information in its entangled partner(s), allowing quantum computers to perform operations with a high degree of complexity and coordination. Entanglement is essential for quantum error correction and specific quantum algorithms requiring synchronization and correlation between unachievable qubits and classical bits.
Want to learn more about Quantum Computing but don’t know where to start?
If you want to learn more about Quantum Computing but feel daunted by the vast amount of science, math, computer science, and even physics to understand, we decided we would pick the best of the resources we could find online and review them in terms of suitability for you to learn.Please note:This article contains affiliate links.
Online Quantum Computing Primers Online
Brilliant Quantum Computing Courses
Direct and to the point. Brilliant (QZ gets commission for purchases) is brilliant at helping individuals learn in a way that can maximize their potential. Please consider signing up if you already have an account and subscription. There are more reasons to take courses in quantum computing that introduce the fundamentals of gate-based quantum computers. Even if you understand Quantum principles, this course is well worth pursuing to brush up on your Quantum skills.
This course is a collaboration with Microsoft and Google (Alphabet) X, so you are in safe hands in terms of the pedigree of the instructors and the information. There is a lot more content explicitly planned for Algorithms and Quantum Circuits, so this could be a very direct way into the field, providing you with everything you need to program your first Quantum Computer. Currently, over 400 concepts are taught in this QC program.
Sign up (QZ gets commission for purchases) to learn how to program your first Quantum Computer!
Khan Academy
Fundamental physics is the name of the game here. It won’t cover the more complex topics such as Quantum Information or get as far as Quantum Computing, but it will cover some basic ideas in Quantum Physics. Consider this a primer in some aspects of Quantum Physics, an easy introduction to the essential physics that underlies the unit of Quantum Computing, the Qubit.
Learn quantum physics with Khan Academy.
Summary: Some excellent physics basics for those without a physics background. It doesn’t cover the sexier topics of Quantum Computing, though.
Quantum Information Courses online
An excellent place to start is a course from MIT on EdX, which aims to teach you about quantum bits (qubits), quantum logic gates, quantum algorithms, and quantum communications, and know some linear algebra. Check out part I of the quantum information course here. There are also follow up with three parts if you want more!
Quantum Machine Learning, an Online Course
Peter Wittek’s Excellent course on Quantum Machine Learning is accessible through the EdX MOOC platform. This is really for advanced learners with a good grasp of maths, and physics is less required. It’s a great course that introduces you to the world of Quantum Computing and Quantum Learning but also to Machine Learning. Peter also has one of the first books published on Quantum Machine Learning (check out his book here if you want to learn more).
The course highlights the benefits of QC (Quantum Computing) over classical computers by examining some algorithmic challenges. The course also uses Python to illustrate some of the QML principles. Guest lecturers include Maria Schuld, Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Seth Lloyd, and Roger Melko.
You can view more about the course and enroll in the course here. Remember that there is no need to pay; auditing the course can be done for FREE, although you can earn a certificate under $50.
Machine Learning and Deep Learning Course Online
Vast computing resources are being directed at ML or Machine Learning. A subset of Artificial Intelligence, ML (Machine Learning) is one of the most resource-intensive research areas, so it should be no surprise that people are considering using any Quantum advantage possible.
But if you want to understand some of the motivations behind Quantum Machine Learning, you could consider looking at a course on Classical Machine Learning and Deep Learning. One of the best courses in Machine Learning is from Andrew Ng, who co-founded the popular learning platform Coursera and founded one of the most popular Machine Learning courses that have seen millions of students learn from his experience. You will learn concepts such as Neural Networks and some data science fundamentals.
You can join the Deep learning course delivered on the Coursera platform and taught by Andrew Ng.
Online Programming Courses in Python: Prepare for Quantum
Suppose you want to program a quantum computer. In that case, you should start programming a classical computer, like the one you are using now (unless you have a time machine and are emulating a MacBook on a Quantum Computer, haha!). The Python programming language is a great way to start for several reasons. One reason is that Python is relatively easier to learn than C++ and that many Quantum Frameworks that interact or simulate Quantum Computers use Python to manipulate qubits.
You can download or get Python for zero cost; the interpreted language is available at Python.org. However, you might already have the Python language installed with an Apple Mac or Linux. Go to the official install page to learn more about installing Python.
For an introductory course on Python, try the EdX course on Python, where you can learn from Microsoft how to use this versatile programming language.
Simulators and Running Quantum Experiments
IBM Q, Learning Quantum Programming with Qiskit and Python
Big Blue was the first to open its machines to the general public. If you want an introduction to the whole process, including how to deploy and even how qubits bit, you’ll find almost everything you need from IBM. Perhaps not the easiest way to learn, but the material is excellent and detailed but may not suit beginners. That said, if you want to try to program a Quantum Computer, IBM could be the right platform.
Learn more about the IBM Quantum Computing Service and how to create and run your experiments.
Microsoft Station Q Quantum Programming
As you would expect from one of the world’s leading software innovators, Microsoft has put both feet into the quantum world, certainly on the software side, even creating their language called Q#, pronounced Q sharp. As you would also expect, they have full integration with their other tools, such as Visual Studio, making for a coherent way to learn to interact with Qubits.
Microsoft doesn’t provide public hardware to run Quantum Algorithms on as IBM does, but for most cases, using a simulator is good enough. You can get the Quantum Developer Kit from Microsoft.
Rigetti Forest Quantum Programming
Perhaps one of the newest entrants in the Quantum Computing space, Rigetti, started by Chad Rigetti, is leading the way in Quantum Cloud solutions. You can download an SDK and get using their cloud solutions. Their Forest SDK provides a way to simulate the Quantum World. It utilizes Python and is very simple to code in – enabling you to perform entanglement in just a few lines of Python!
D-wave Quantum Computing Primer
One of the first providers of commercial Quantum Computers, Dwave has an introductory tutorial to Quantum, which you can read. Perhaps not as sophisticated as an online course, but there is an excellent D-Wave Quantum Primer which you can read through.
Quantum Programming and Coding Tutorials
If you fancied getting right on with it and stuck into some basic examples like “Hello World,” then you can get your hands dirty with these tutorials here.
Microsoft Q# Quantum Computing Tutorial – Hello World
A basic tutorial for creating your very first Quantum Computing application. The quantum equivalent of “hello world” written in Microsoft’s own Quantum language Q#
Microsoft Q# Entanglement Tutorial
Have you ever wondered how you can create an entangled state? This tutorial uses the Microsoft Q# language to build up small quantum experiments showing how entanglement works.
