CERN’s New Free Online Course to Focus on Practical Aspects of Quantum Computing; Good Introduction to QC for CIOs & Developers

(ZDNet) CERN’s new free online lecture series could be a good way to introduce CIOs and developers who are keen to get a handle on quantum computing.
The classes will focus on the practical aspects of quantum computing, such as implementing quantum algorithms in quantum simulators and quantum computers from IBM Quantum Experience and D-Wave Leap.
The lectures start today: Friday, November 6 at 10:30am CET and will be held every Friday at the same time for the next seven weeks through to Friday, December 18. Click here to go to class lists and website.
The lectures are organized by CERN openlab and the CERN Quantum Technology Initiative (QTI) and will be hosted by lecturer Elías Fernández-Combarro Álvarez, an associate professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Oviedo in Spain. Alvarez will walk viewers through the basic concepts of the quantum circuit model, such as qubits, or quantum bit – the quantum equivalent of binary bits in conventional computers but which can be in two states simultaneously – qubit gates, and measures.
He will also cover important quantum algorithms; the BB84 quantum cryptography protocol for key distribution; applications of quantum computing in the fields of optimization and simulation, and quantum machine learning.
The first lecture offers an introduction to the IBM Quantum Experience, IBM’s interface for accessing its actual supercomputers. It also covers what quantum computing is, applications of quantum computing, and the hardware and software for quantum computing.