CS-4345/6345

Student questions about the Introduction to Quantum Computing Course

I've received many questions about the Spring Quantum Computing course that I'm answering here:
  • What is the quantum computing about and why is it important?
    Quantum computing is a new, exciting, and somewhat strange computing platform that works very differently than conventional computing. All the big industry players have quantum groups now, and governments around the world are investing significantly in a $10B race to develop quantum computing. The hope is that it offers an entirely new way to compute and that it can solve some problems that cannot be reasonably solved on conventional computers. One example is breaking certain kinds of cryptography. Shor's celebrated quantum algorithm (which we will explain in the course) shows how to break conventional crypto in polynomial-time (i.e., efficiently), something thought to be impossible with conventional hardware.

  • What will the course cover?
    The goal of the course is to learn how quantum computing works and to prepare students with the foundation for employment, research, or further study in the field. Even if you don't pursue this field, you will at least be prepared to work with those who do, and be positioned for a quantum future. The topics include: how exactly does quantum computing exploit the strange quantum properties of matter to perform computations? What does it mean to write a quantum computing program? How does quantum computing break conventional cryptography, and why is a quantum network far more secure? What is meant by quantum teleportation and entanglement? What did Einstein get wrong? (The famous EPR paradox and its resolution).

  • What is the workload in the course?
    This is an elective with a relatively low workload because of the novel and conceptually challenging nature of the material. If you've taken my linear algebra course (CS-4342/6342), the workload in the quantum course is 30% of the workload in CS-4342/6342. (The number of module exercises in the quantum course is less than 30% of the module exercises in CS-4342.) It is certainly a lot less than in a core CS course like Algorithms. Most of the work is in the first half of the semester. Amongst all the courses I teach, it has by far the least workload.

  • What will be expected of students in the course?
    If you've taken a course with me, you know that there are modules with module exercises, several of which will be solved in class itself. Apart from this, there will be some note-taking and we'll have either a final project or a term-paper or an exam (still TBD).

  • Is there programming in the course?
    None, unless you opt to do so in your final project (assuming we go that route).

  • What prerequisites will I need?
    You need to have taken an undergraduate course in Linear Algebra and be willing to "do math". This is a theory course.

  • What parts of linear algebra will be needed?
    We'll need vectors, matrices, orthogonality (definitions) and eigenvectors. Everything else will be developed in the course itself, and there will be a review of basic linear algebra.

  • Will I need physics?
    No physics is required, nor anything other than linear algebra. Prior course offerings have had undergraduates from computer science, physics, math, stats, all of whom were fine in the course. There will be some physics described (for illustration) but none in submitted or assessed work.

  • Will I need a course in security or cryptography?
    No background is needed. We will introduce concepts as needed.

  • When is the course typically offered?
    Every Spring.

  • Will Q-Day happen in the near future?
    Nobody knows, but governments are ramping up to prepare for it.