Welcome to the IBM Quantum Developer Conference! These challenges are designed to test your quantum computing skills using the Qiskit product features and IBM Quantum platform. The competition spans three days and features two challenge tracks, now referred to as Track A and Track B. Please carefully review the following rules to ensure a smooth competition experience.
The contest is open to all registered participants of the IBM Quantum Developer Conference, excluding IBM employees. IBM employees are not allowed to participate in the challenges and are ineligible to receive prizes. Participants must register and attend the conference in person to compete.
Participants must bring their own laptops to participate in the coding challenges. Access to IBM Quantum and Qiskit tools will be provided via the IBM Quantum platform.
- All challenges are individual, except for the Track B Challenge on Day 3, which is team-based.
- Participants must complete and submit their solutions individually for all other challenges.
The competition requires the use of the Python programming language, the Qiskit SDK, and the IBM Quantum platform. Participants must use the tools and software features introduced during the seminars.
All participants are expected to compete fairly and respectfully. Cheating, tampering with other participants’ work, or using unauthorized external help is strictly prohibited.
Participants should not share or publish their solutions during the conference. Once the contest ends, participants may discuss their approaches and solutions freely.
Each day of the conference consists of two coding challenges, referred to as Track A and Track B. There will be six total challenges over three days.
- Track A and Track B Challenges: Participants are provided with challenge statements and are free to devise their own solutions. Day 3’s Track B Challenge is team-based, while all other challenges are individual.
Each challenge will be auto-graded based on predefined criteria. Participants must submit their solutions using the provided grading system embedded in the Jupyter notebooks.
A live leaderboard will display the full ranking of all participants (or teams, for the Day 3 Track B Challenge) based on their auto-graded scores. The leaderboard will be displayed publicly during the conference.
In the event of a tie in scores, the participant or team who submitted their solution earlier will be ranked higher on the leaderboard.
- Day 1 and Day 2 Challenges: Submissions for these challenges must be completed by 12:30 pm on Day 3.
- Day 3 Challenges: Submissions must be completed by 4 pm on Day 3.
- Late submissions will not be accepted.
The top submissions for each challenge will be reviewed by an expert panel to ensure compliance with the rules and to assess quality.
The top participant or team for each challenge will receive a commemorative plaque recognizing their achievement.
The top-ranking participants or teams will be featured on the live leaderboard, gaining recognition for their performance.
Participants may be disqualified for:
- Submitting plagiarized solutions.
- Using unauthorized methods, such as classical brute-force algorithms.
- Tampering with the auto-grader to falsely pass tests.
- Violating the code of conduct, including cheating or tampering with others’ submissions.
If disqualification occurs, the participant or team will be removed from the leaderboard, and the next highest-ranking participant or team will take their place, subject to the same validation process.
A panel of experts will review the top submissions to ensure compliance with the rules and assess the quality of the solutions.
Any disputes must be raised with the event organizers within 24 hours of the leaderboard being finalized. The decision of the expert panel is final.
All code and solutions submitted during the competition remain the intellectual property of the respective participants.
By participating, participants agree that IBM Quantum may showcase and use anonymized submissions for educational and promotional purposes.
Participants must adhere to the competition schedule as communicated by the event organizers. Late submissions may not be accepted.
Any technical issues should be reported to the event organizers immediately. While every effort will be made to resolve issues, IBM Quantum is not responsible for delays or disruptions caused by technical difficulties.
IBM Quantum reserves the right to modify the rules or structure of the competition if deemed necessary for fair competition.