Chapter 2
The Tools of the Trade in Quantum Computing

Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.
— Winston Churchill

We are all very much looking forward to having a ”Q1 Pro” quantum chip in our laptops, but — much to our regret — the technology is not there just yet. Nevertheless, we do have some actual quantum computers that, with their limitations, are able to execute quantum algorithms. And, furthermore, our good old classical computers can actually do a very decent job at simulating ideal quantum computers, at least for a low number of qubits.

In this chapter, we will explore the tools that allow us to implement quantum algorithms using the quantum circuit model and run them on simulators or on real quantum hardware.

We will begin by going through some of the most widely-used quantum software frameworks and platforms out there. Then, we will see how to work with the two software frameworks that we are going to use more extensively throughout...