Qiskit Global Summer School 2024: Quantum Computing and Simulation

The Qiskit Global Summer School is IBM Quantum’s flagship annual educational event. The 2024 edition focused on quantum simulation, one of the most compelling near-term applications of quantum computing. Lectures were delivered by researchers from IBM Quantum and collaborating institutions, and the full recordings together with hands-on lab materials are freely available to anyone after the live event concludes.

The 2024 curriculum builds from the theoretical foundations of quantum simulation up to practical implementation on real hardware using Qiskit Runtime. Early lectures establish why quantum simulation is hard classically and how quantum computers provide an advantage. Hamiltonian simulation is treated rigorously: the course covers the Suzuki-Trotter product formula in detail, including error analysis and the trade-off between Trotter step size and circuit depth. The Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) is covered as a practical approach to finding ground state energies when exact Trotterization is too expensive, with attention to ansatz design and optimizer choice.

The lab sessions are a particular strength of the school. Each lab connects directly to the lecture material and runs on Qiskit Runtime against IBM Quantum hardware or high-quality simulators. Labs cover Trotter circuit construction, VQE implementation with customizable ansatze, noise analysis, and error mitigation using the Runtime resilience options. The 30-hour time estimate reflects both lecture viewing and serious engagement with the labs.

What you’ll learn

• Why quantum simulation matters and where it provides a computational advantage over classical methods
• The Suzuki-Trotter product formula: how to decompose time evolution operators into quantum gates
• Trotter error analysis: how step size, order, and circuit depth interact
• VQE: ansatz design, cost function evaluation with the Estimator primitive, and classical optimization
• Hamiltonian learning: inferring Hamiltonian parameters from measurement data
• Qiskit Runtime workflows: structuring jobs for hardware execution with appropriate error mitigation

Who is this for?

• Intermediate Qiskit users who want to move into simulation and research-adjacent work
• Graduate students in physics, chemistry, or materials science exploring quantum computing
• Quantum software developers who want a rigorous treatment of a major near-term application
• Anyone who completed an introductory quantum computing course and wants a serious next step