Introduction to Quantum Computing for AI and Data Science

Full course description

In this course we lay down the foundations and basic concepts of quantum computing. We will use the mathematical formalism borrowed from quantum mechanics to describe quantum systems and their interactions. We introduce the concept of a quantum bit and discuss different physical realizations of it. We then introduce the basic building blocks of quantum computing: quantum measurements and quantum circuits, single and multi-qubit gates, the difference between correlated (entangled) and uncorrelated states and their representation, quantum communication, and basic quantum protocols and quantum algorithms. Finally, we discuss the different types of noise involved in real quantum computers (coherent and incoherent errors, state preparation, projection and measurement) and their effect on performance, and outline current efforts for mitigating the issues.

!! This course is a prerequisite for the planned elective courses Quantum Algorithms, Quantum AI, and Quantum Information and Security, which will be offered in Semester 1 of the upcoming academic year 2024-2025. These four courses, together with a dedicated research project quantum computing forms the specialization Quantum Computing.