Teaching

This elective course on Quantum Algorithms is designed for senior undergraduate and dual-degree students in computer science, as well as MS and PhD students. It introduces foundational quantum algorithms, including the Deutsch-Jozsa, Simon’s, and Shor’s algorithms, as well as Grover’s algorithm and quantum amplitude amplification and estimation. The course also explores state-of-the-art techniques such as block encodings and Quantum Singular Value Transformation (QSVT), along with their applications in Hamiltonian simulation and quantum linear algebra. Finally, students study algorithms in alternative quantum computational models, including adiabatic quantum computing and quantum walks, providing a broad perspective on quantum algorithm design and implementation.

This course starts by quickly reviewing the basics of quantum information, and modern (classical) cryptography. It then covers various exciting topics in quantum cryptography—many of which have only recently been discovered. Last time, we looked at non-locality (entanglement, Bell’s theorem), certified deletion, uncloneable encryption (in the random oracle model), Haar measures, commitments from pseudorandom states, cryptography using assumptions potentially weaker than P≠NP, self-testing and verification. This barely scratches the surface and subsequent iterations of the course are likely to have a different selection of topics. The exams in this course do not have a strict upper limit on the time, and students are allowed to carry one piece of paper with handwritten notes. Assessments focus on testing understanding as opposed to memory and other factors.