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title: "Course Introduction"
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[In-class notes](HandWrittenNotes/IntroductionsClass.pdf)

## Today's Information

### Learning Goals for Today

- Build curiosity for quantum computers and what they can do
- Develop ideas for productive group problem solving
- Familiarity with course structure

### Announcements/Logistics

- Office Hours **this week only**: T/Th 12:30-1:30, 3:30-4:00
- Upcoming Assignments:
  - [Getting to know you quiz](https://middlebury.instructure.com/courses/15460/quizzes/36039) (due **today**)
  - [PSet Rough Draft](https://middlebury.instructure.com/courses/15460/assignments/287639) (due Sunday)
  - [Exit Ticket](https://middlebury.instructure.com/courses/15460/discussion_topics/201181) (due by 8am before next class)   
- Course Assistant drop-in hours TBD
- "What I Did Over the Summer"

## What do you know about quantum computers? What will you know about quantum computers?

### Testing your current understanding:

::: {.callout-tip appearance="simple"}

### ABCD Questions 

* Which can solve more problems?   

  A) A regular (classical) computer with $n$ bits and $T$ time steps/cycles.   
  A) A quantum computer with $n$ (qu)bits and $T$ time steps/cycles?
  A) Each of these computers can solve problems that the other can not.

* There are problems a quantum computer can solve that no classical computers can solve.

  A) True
  A) False
  A) Unknown

* Quantum computers can solve NP-Hard problems, like the traveling salesperson problem.

  A) True
  A) False
  A) Unknown

* There are problems for which there is an exponential asymptotic time advantage for a quantum computer over a classical computer.

  A) True
  A) False
  A) Unknown

:::

### What we will learn in this class:

* Use standard terminology and mathematical tools of quantum computing to effectively describe and analyze quantum algorithms and protocols for cryptography, game-playing, disturbance-free detection, factoring, searching, and error correction.
* Describe properties of quantum mechanics (like entanglement, measurement, no-cloning, superposition, negative and complex phases), and build intuition as to why these properties lead to advantages over standard computation in computing and information tasks.
* Appreciate the limits of quantum computation and recognize when hype is used to minimize those limitations.
* Develop strategies to become a better learner and collaborator

## Learning and Collaborating
The first learning goal of the course has nothing to do with algorithms:

> Develop strategies to become a better learner and collaborator.
>

### Learning

Think of something you are good at. How did you get good at it? Did you ever make mistakes? What did you do when you made a mistake?

Because learning is a process, and mistakes are one of the best ways to learn, I give you lots of opportunities to make mistakes:

- Problem sets are graded on effort, not correctness
- Quizzes and exams have unlimited revisions and credit/no-credit grading

#### Group Work

We will do group problem solving in class almost every period. This will help you learn course content

- by trying to explain your thinking to others
- by asking questions
- by making mistakes

It will also help you to learn to be a better team member and to meet lots of other cool CS students! I will always provide the solution in class after you've had a chance to work on it in groups.

::: {.callout-tip appearance="simple"}
## Group Exercise

In groups we are going to brainstorm ways to manage challenges that arise in group work: 
- [go/CS33groups](https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Kn8SyCd_BoVRzK9IpDIS8a5tE7eoGKCN2Njti6Dqs0/edit#heading=h.r32eeg1akgfx)

:::