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On the Design and Implementation of a Quantum Architectures Knowledge Unit for a CS Curriculum

Authors:

Qiao XiangAuthors Info & Claims

SIGCSE 2023: Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 1

Pages 1150 - 1156

https://doi.org/10.1145/3545945.3569845

Published: 03 March 2023 Publication History

Abstract

Sixteen years ago, Scott Aaronson remarked (in the presence of Ray Laflamme) that quantum mechanics (QM) resembles an operating system on which the rest of Physics is running its application software (except for general relativity "which has not yet been successfully ported to this particular OS''). Prior to that, it took the insight of an educator and eminent computer scientist (Umesh Vazirani) to realize that a complete and consistent introduction to QM can be given via the language of qubits and quantum gates. Closer to the present, it took the profound intuition of another polymath (Terry Rudolph) to realize that the linear algebra normally at the foundation of such an approach can be replaced with a simple rewriting system accessible to middle school students. Rewriting systems are at the foundation of Computer Science, they are, in fact, the very fabric of it (e.g., Turing machines and lambda calculus), so these are very fortunate developments. Furthermore, a linear algebra prerequisite is now shared firmly in the CS undergraduate curriculum with Machine Learning, a topic that has known a very deep and sudden revival. Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) is inherently interdisciplinary and spans physics, computer science, mathematics, engineering, chemistry and materials science. We present three curricular plans for incorporating QIST topics (via Quantum Computing) into the CS undergraduate curriculum. Such plans have been constructed with a preliminary consultation with QED-C members (industry, academia, national labs, and government agencies) asking for comments, suggestions and general input on these three curricular plans.

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Cited By

Juárez-Ramírez RJiménez SNavarro CGuerra-García CPerez-Gonzalez HFernández-y-Fernández COrtiz-Hernández JCancino K(2024)Skills Required for Quantum Computing: A Comprehensive Review of Recent StudiesProgramming and Computing Software10.1134/S036176882470080450:8(844-874)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1134/S0361768824700804

Index Terms

On the Design and Implementation of a Quantum Architectures Knowledge Unit for a CS Curriculum
1. Hardware
  1. Emerging technologies
    1. Quantum technologies
      1. Quantum computation

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cover image ACM Conferences

SIGCSE 2023: Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 1

March 2023

1481 pages

ISBN:9781450394314

DOI:10.1145/3545945

General Chairs:
Maureen Doyle
Northern Kentucky University, USA
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Ben Stephenson
University of Calgary, Canada
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Program Chairs:
Brian Dorn
University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA
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Leen-Kiat Soh
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
,
Lina Battestilli
North Carolina State University, USA

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Published: 03 March 2023

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Cited By

Juárez-Ramírez RJiménez SNavarro CGuerra-García CPerez-Gonzalez HFernández-y-Fernández COrtiz-Hernández JCancino K(2024)Skills Required for Quantum Computing: A Comprehensive Review of Recent StudiesProgramming and Computing Software10.1134/S036176882470080450:8(844-874)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1134/S0361768824700804

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