Can you rise to the challenge?

Institut quantique of Université de Sherbrooke invites you to discover the extraordinary world of quantum programming through a unique animated series: The Quantum enigmas.

We’ve made an introduction to the key concepts of quantum computing and a series of fun enigmas to solve. Even if there is no quantum advantage at the moment, from one enigma to the next, you will develop a deeper understanding of quantum by testing your logic against various scenarios.

Intro 001 - Required notions

You have to start somewhere. This video will introduce you to key concepts in quantum computing and prepare you for the enigmas you'll tackle in the series. We'll talk about qubits, the Bloch sphere, quantum entanglement, state superposition and quantum logic gates. In short, everything you need for your quantum programming adventure!

Enigma 001 - The Treasure Door

The adventure starts here! Alice is walking on a distant planet. Suddenly, she comes across two guardians, two doors and a treasure. Will she be able to answer the riddle correctly to win the key to the treasure? A classic problem that can be translated on a quantum computer. It’s a nice way to make the leap into quantum programming and apply the concepts of state superposition, entanglement, and quantum parallelism.

Want to test your knowledge further with other problem sets related to the Quantum enigma 001? Go to the Qiskit Textbook website.

Enigma 002 - The four hair colours

Are you ready to shift into second gear? At a carnival, Alice, Bob, Charlie, and Dalia decide to enter a contest to win an inter galactic trip. The challenge? Each person must guess their own hair color. The team will have to work together to find the right strategy to determine the orange or indigo color of their hair. You will apply a new concept, the principle of parity.

Enigma 003 - The four-square chessboard

Alice and Bob continue their journey in space. They are challenged by Aïka, who’s hidden a key under one of the four chessboard squares. A coin is then randomly placed on each of the four squares. How will Alice communicate to Bob the exact position of the key by flipping only one coin? You will apply a new concept, the control by the 0-state.

Enigma 004 - The monty hall problem

The diamond you won has disappeared. Your search leads you to Monty Hall Manor, where Kettu has hidden your diamond in one of the three safes in front of you. If you choose the right safe, you can retrieve your diamond, otherwise Kettu will keep it forever. Can you determine the best approach to solving this enigma?

Deutsch Algorithm - The statue vandals

Are you ready to see a real quantum advantage? Together with your friends Bob, Charlie and Dahlia, you've developed a device that allows you to control a quantum city, in which statue vandals keep hitting two different parks. You'll learn how to apply Deutsch's Algorithm to find out which vandal has struck.

Resources

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Test the circuits by yourself using the IBM Q Experience website.

Continue the Enigma 001 challenge by answering programming questions on the Qiskit textbook.