CT4110 Lectures Overview

The Quantum Programming Foundations Course (CT4100) is offered by ICHEC and aims to provide an accessible introduction to quantum computing with minimal technical prerequisites.

The course introduces the foundations of classical and quantum computing, the mathematical framework behind qubits and quantum gates, quantum hardware, quantum programming, and key quantum algorithms. It also explores current NISQ approaches and ongoing developments in the quantum computing ecosystem.

The course continues to evolve, and we intend to add and update modules over time to make it more comprehensive and inclusive of the skills and knowledge required across the quantum computing ecosystem.

Below is an overview of the course structure for 2026–2027. This page serves as the landing page for the lecture notes accompanying the course.

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  root((QPCC))
    lec1(**1. Introduction to Classical and Quantum Computing**)
        (Introduction to Quantum Computing)
        (Introduction to Classical Bits and Gates)
    lec2(**2. From Bits to Qubits**)
        (Qubits)
        (The maths of qubits)
        (Bloch sphere)
        (Single-qubit gates)
        (Quantum measurement)
    lec3(**3. Connecting Qubits Together**)
        (Multiple-qubit gates)
        (Connecting mathematics to experiment)
        (Universal gate sets)
    lec4(**4. First Quantum Algorithm**)
        (Software SDKs)
        (Deutsch algorithm)
        (Algorithmic scaling)
    lec5(**5. Hardware and Physics of Quantum Computer**)
        (DiVincenzo's criteria)
        (Key features of quantum physics)
        (Quantum hardware)
        (Noise)
        (Analogue quantum computing)
    lec6(**6. Early Quantum Algorithms I: QFT & QPE**)
        (Quantum Fourier Transform)
        (Quantum Phase Estimation)
    lec7(**7. Early Quantum Algorithms II: Shor & Cryptography**)
        (Shor's algorithm)
        (Cryptography & Shor)
    lec8(**8. Early Quantum Algorithms III: Grover & Quantum Random Walks**)
        (Grover's algorithm)
        (Quantum random walks)
    lec9(**9. NISQ Algorithms I: Introduction**)
        (Introduction to NISQ)
        (Mathematical foundations)
    lec10(**10. NISQ Algorithms II: QUBO Optimization**)
        (QUBO)
        (QAOA)
    lec11(**11. The Future of Quantum**)
        (History of quantum in Ireland)
        (ICHEC)
        (ICHEC research)
        (Current open research questions)
    

List of Lectures

• Lecture 1 - Introduction to Classical and Quantum Computing

  • Introduction to Quantum Computing

  • Introduction to Classical Bits and Gates

• Lecture 2 - From Bits to Qubits

• Lecture 3 - Connecting Qubits Together

• Lecture 4 - First Quantum Algorithm

• Lecture 5 - Hardware and Physics of Quantum Computer

• Lecture 6 - Early Quantum Algorithms I: QFT & QPE

• Lecture 7 - Early Quantum Algorithms II: Shor’s Algorithm & Cryptography

• Lecture 8 - Early Quantum Algorithms III: Grover’s Algorithm & Quantum Random Walks

• Lecture 9 - NISQ Algorithms I: Introduction

• Lecture 10 - NISQ Algorithms II: QUBO Optimization

• Lecture 11 - The Future of Quantum

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Contact

For course related queries, contact us or the instructors at following -

Name	Email
Emil Dimitrov	emil.dimitrov@ichec.ie
James Nelson	james.nelson@ichec.ie
Karthik Krishnakumar	karthik.krishnakumar@ichec.ie
Pablo Suarez Vieites	pablo.suarez@ichec.ie
Rajarshi Tiwari	rajarshi.tiwari@ichec.ie
Sherry Blair	sherry.blair@ichec.ie
Venkatesh Kannan	venkatesh.kannan@ichec.ie