QISKit is a collection of software for working with short depth quantum circuits and building near term applications and experiments on quantum computers. In QISKit, a quantum program is an array of quantum circuits. The program workflow consists of three stages: Build, Compile, and Run. Build allows you to make different quantum circuits that represent the problem you are solving. Compile allows you to rewrite them to run on different backends (simulators/real chips of different quantum volumes, sizes, fidelity, etc). Run launches the jobs. After the jobs have been run, the data is collected. There are methods for putting this data together, depending on the program. This either gives you the answer you wanted or allows you to make a better program for the next instance.
The QISKit project comprises:
- QISKit SDK: Python software development kit for writing quantum computing experiments, programs, and applications.
- QISKit API: A thin Python wrapper around the Quantum Experience HTTP API that enables you to connect and and execute quantum programs.
- QISKit OpenQASM: Contains specifications, examples, documentation, and tools for the OpenQASM intermediate representation.
- QISKit Tutorial: A collection of Jupyter notebooks using QISKit.