

qiskit Hackathon Barcelona
Only 100 Participants
In-Person Barcelona
April, 1 & 2 2023
Escola d'Enginyeria
UAB (Barcelona)
QISKIT HACKATHON BARCELONA
About the event
The Qiskit Hackathon Barcelona will take place in-person on April 1 and 2 at the Escola d'Enginyeria UAB (Barcelona) and is open to anyone with a passion for programming and technology!
This hackathon is an immersive competition featuring live engagement, teamwork, and mentorship by expert researchers, developers and advocates. Participants will have 24 hours to work in teams to develop solutions to problems in the field of quantum computing and present it to a panel of judges.
Challenges will be proposed by some of the top experts from IBM Quantum, ICFO, Moody’s and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. You don't need to have experience in quantum computing, but some basic programming knowledge is recommended.
We invite you to come practice your skills, meet new friends, and compete against others in your community for prizes!

before the event
Introduction to Quantum Algorithms by Josep Bosch from Qilimanjaro
Josep Bosch from Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, who will introduce us to quantum algorithms.
before the event
Introduction to quantum algorithms II by QUANTIC|BSC-CNS
This time, we will have Sergio Sanchez and Sergi Masot from the QUANTIC group at BSC (Barcelona Supercomputing Center).

ADDITIONAL TRAINING
Why attend this Training?
“If you are looking for additional training before the hackathon, you are welcome to join the in-person Spring School hosted by ICFO and DigiQ. The program includes a 2-day hands-on workshop led by researchers from ICFO and IBM Quantum aimed at introducing students and researchers to several open-source tools, and their use in cutting-edge research, followed by a 1-day symposium. Click the button "Join the Training" to learn more and register.
IBM CHALLENGE
Visual Circuit Preparation
In Quantum Computing the first step is often to prepare a circuit, which encodes the quantum state which is needed for the problem. There are a lot of different ways to encode a quantum state as a circuit, and depending on the encoding the error rate can vary a lot. In this challenge we will optimize this step in a visual, easy to test, way.
BSC CHALLENGE
Circuit Cutting
In this challenge, we are going to explore circuit cutting. This technique consists of splitting a circuit to run it in different quantum computers and then merging the results with classical post-processing.
MOODY'S CHALLENGE
Solving the Black-Scholes pricing model with quantum simulation techniques
Pricing financial derivatives (options) accurately and efficiently is one of the most difficult and exciting challenges in mathematical finance. The so-called Black-Scholes-Merton model, also known simply as the Black-Scholes model, is a pricing model allowing to evaluate the value of options which only depend on the underlying single security. The Black-Scholes equation can also be characterized as a parabolic PDE governing the price evolution of an European call/put option. From the point of view of quantum mechanics, the BS-PDE can be interpreted as the imaginary time Schrödinger equation of a free particle. In this challenge, you will use variational-ansatz based quantum techniques to derive the price of an European call option.
ICFO CHALLENGE
Quantum simulation with quantum computers
Quantum computers allow us to simulate the behavior of quantum systems that are impossible or very difficult to simulate with classical computers. This typically involves representing the quantum system with a quantum circuit that can run on quantum hardware to obtain information about the system’s properties. Quantum simulation has the potential to revolutionize fields such as chemistry, material sciences, and condensed matter physics, leading to the design of new drugs and materials. In this challenge, we will study some paradigmatic systems of condensed matter physics and quantum chemistry.








Agenda
If you are a participant in the event, check the email in which we have sent you all the information about the event and the complete agenda.
Day 1 - 09:00 AM
Welcome - Registration
Day 1 - 09:30 AM
Qiskit Hackathon Barcelona Presentation
Day 1 - 10:00 AM
Presentation of ideas and challenges
Day 1 - 10:30 AM
Team building
Day 1 - 11.30 AM
Hackathon begins
Day 1 - 1.30 PM
Lunch
Day 1 - 3.00 PM
Hackathon continues
Day 1 - 6.00 PM
Snack time
Day 1 - 8.30 PM
Dinner
Day 1 - 10.00 PM to Day 2 - 10.00 AM
Hackathon continues
Day 2 - 8.00 AM
Breakfast
Day 1 - 10.00 AM to 12.00 PM
Presentation the final projects
Day 2 - 12.00 PM
Judges ceremony and awards
Day 2 - 2.00 PM
Networking - Family Photo
FAQ
“The Qiskit Hackathon Barcelona is an immersive competition featuring live engagement, teamwork, and mentorship by expert researchers, developers and advocates. Participants will have 24 hours to work in teams to develop solutions to problems in the field of quantum computing and present it to a panel of judges. We invite you to come practice your skills, meet new friends, and compete against others in your community for prizes.”
Anyone with a passion for programming and technology can participate in the Qiskit Hackathon. You don't need to have experience in quantum computing, but some basic programming knowledge is recommended. Remember that is in-person so you must be located in Barcelona at the time of the event.
The Qiskit Hackathon will take place from 1st to 2nd April in Escola d'Enginyeria UAB (Barcelona), Spain. This is the location.
To register, simply complete the online registration form. You will need to provide information about your programming experience and explain why you would like to participate in the Qiskit Hackathon. Selected participants will be notified by email. You must confirm your participation. If you don't recieve any email, please contact us at the email support@quantumhackbcn.com (you can't access to the event if you don't confirm your registration)
Yes, the hackathon will be done in teams of 6 people. There will be a team activity at the begining of the event so don't be afraid to come alone or without a complete team. Le'ts meet each other!
Qiskit Textbook - https://qiskit.org/learn/
Installing Qiskit - https://qiskit.org/documentation/getting_started.html
Qiskit YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@qiskit
Qiskit code of conduct: https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
Join us today and be a part of the exciting Qiskit Hackathon!
