"Quantum computing? That sounds interesting. Where should I start learning about it?" Let me share with you my list of resources.
Online courses
After learning about the existence of quantum computing as an emerging technology and field of study, I wanted to know more about it. The first online course that I took was "Understanding Quantum Computers" on futurelearn.com, by Keio University. The course is perfect for beginners, all concepts are explained through concrete examples. There are video lectures but also articles to read, easy to follow and not long. There is also space for discussion, making the course quite interactive. Then, I followed the courses offered by TU Delft on edX.com. A good example is the course "Professional Certificate - Quantum 101: Quantum Computing & Quantum Internet", which is divided into two parts. Part 1 starts with the building blocks of a quantum computer, the ket notation, and proceeds with the various types of qubits. Part 2 treats among other subjects, the topic of quantum algorithms and quantum error correction and concludes with the topic of quantum internet. If you want to know more about it, there is another course offered by TU Delft, "The Quantum Internet and Quantum Computers: How Will They Change the World?".
Quantum platforms
The QuTech platform Quantum-Inspire is a very good resource for learning more about quantum computing. There you will find theoretical instructions as well as coding examples and tutorials on QASM, a quantum programming language. I found this platform very intuitive and easy to follow.
Qiskit of IBM is a very good resource for improving your coding skills. IBM organizes the Qiskit Global Summer School with theoretical and coding lectures. QWorld organizes online workshops with excellent tutorials and lectures on theoretical quantum computing and with hands-on exercises (Qiskit). I strongly recommend this program especially to beginners who want to learn about quantum computing and Qiskit.
University courses
University courses can be quite helpful especially with respect to theoretical concepts. During my Master's studies, I took a Quantum Physics course and Quantum Information and Engineering, both at Universite Grenoble Alpes (UGA), in France. There were many arguments and topics in common between the curriculum of these two courses and the topics that I had already seen on the online courses that I mentioned earlier. However, I found my university courses more challenging, probably due to the fact that these courses usually are quite technical and scientific. Do not be scared of the increased level of difficulty. With a bit of dedication and focus, they should not be a problem, on the contrary, they give you a solid theoretical basis.
Books
For improving my programming skills, I am currently using "Learn
Quantum Computing with Python and IBM Quantum Experience", by Robert Loredo. The book is very practical and easy to follow. The instructions are clear, accompanied by simulation schemes.
Since I am a mathematician, I often use the book of W. Scherer, "Mathematics of Quantum Computing". This book is the Bible for any person who wants to study quantum computing seriously. I wouldn't recommend this book to beginners, but after gaining some experience in this field, I strongly advise anyone to have this book on their bookshelves.
Companies' websites, videos, and tutorials
D-Wave offers a lot of good stuff on their website, including tutorials for using their online tools, videos explaining theoretical concepts such as quantum annealing, and other videos showing the applications of quantum computing in industry.
Other companies such as IBM, Atos, etc, share similar material on their websites and on Youtube, worth checking out.
Internship/Research
My internship/master thesis research project at Institute Fourier in Grenoble, France, helped me a great deal with advancing my knowledge and improving my practical skills in quantum computing. I suggest to all students to aim for such an experience as it introduces you to advanced research papers that you need to understand well and to real problems which develop your coding and analytic skills.
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