Which programming language is best to start learning for Quantum Software Development?

All answers to this question.

Since you already know Python, Qiskit is the absolute winner for a starting point. It’s maintained by IBM and has a massive community. You don't need a PhD, but you do need to understand linear algebra and complex numbers. Think of quantum programming not as an API, but as "Logic Gate" programming. You are literally building a circuit. Qiskit’s documentation is fantastic, and they even have a "textbook" that explains the underlying physics in a way that makes sense to a software engineer's logical brain.

   Answered 2024-11-04 by Catherine Hodges

Have you looked at the Microsoft Azure Quantum platform? It allows you to run Q# code and compare results across different hardware backends like IonQ and Rigetti.

   Answered 2024-11-05 by Jeffrey Walters

• Jeffrey, I’ve peeked at Q#, but it feels a bit more "enterprise" and isolated than the open-source feel of Qiskit. Does Azure offer free credits for learners? I’m worried about the cost of actually running jobs on a real quantum processor versus just using a local simulator on my laptop.

     Commented 2024-11-06 by Diana Prince

Treat it like learning assembly. It’s low-level and highly mathematical. Qiskit is definitely the industry standard right now for most enterprise pilots.

   Answered 2024-11-07 by Brandon Lee

• Exactly, Brandon. It’s definitely closer to Assembly or HDL than it is to something like Java. Expect a steep learning curve regarding "superposition" and "entanglement" logic.

     Commented 2024-11-08 by Catherine Hodges