Question 1

What is Qiskit Fall Fest 2026?

Accepted Answer

Qiskit Fall Fest is a global, student- and community-led quantum computing festival organized in partnership with IBM Quantum. SRM University-AP is participating as a host for the 2026 edition.

Question 2

When will Qiskit Fall Fest 2026 take place?

Accepted Answer

Online Phase: October 8–13, 2026
Offline Phase: October 26–30, 2026 at SRM University-AP, Amaravati.

Question 3

Where will the event take place?

Accepted Answer

The offline phase will be hosted at SRM University-AP, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Question 4

Who can participate in the event?

Accepted Answer

Students and individuals interested in quantum computing can participate. Register on Unstop, then message us on WhatsApp with your Gmail address to get portal access.

Question 5

Do I need prior knowledge of quantum computing or Qiskit?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. Beginners are welcome in introductory activities such as the essay and poster competitions. The hackathon and coding challenges require basic Python, quantum computing concepts, and Qiskit SDK familiarity.

Question 6

Can I participate in multiple events?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You may participate in the essay, poster, reels, and hackathon simultaneously, as long as you meet each event's individual deadline. For the hackathon, you can only be a member of one team.

Question 7

What events are being conducted?

Accepted Answer

Online competitions (submit via the portal):
• Tech Reels Competition — 45–90 sec quantum video, prize up to ₹10,000 — deadline 12 Oct
• Digital Poster Creation — infographic on Quantum Materials or Sensing, prize up to ₹5,000 — deadline 12 Oct
• Essay Competition — 800–1,200 words on a quantum topic, prize up to ₹5,000 — deadline 12 Oct
• Flagship Hackathon — Phase 1 online sprint deadline: 13 October 2026

Offline phase (26–30 October at SRM-AP):
• Quantum Quiddles quiz, QTalk presentations, Guess the QTech, workshops, and the Hackathon Phase 2 finale.

Question 8

What should I prepare before attending the event?

Accepted Answer

For online competitions and hands-on sessions:
• A laptop and a stable internet connection
• A GitHub account (required for the hackathon)
• Basic Python knowledge
• Basic quantum computing concepts
• Qiskit SDK familiarity (for advanced hackathon tracks)

Question 9

Will participants receive certificates or prizes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Participation certificates will be issued after the offline event concludes (post 30 October 2026).
• Offline participants: collect in person on campus.
• Online participants: certificates sent via email to your registered Gmail.

Prizes:
• Tech Reels: up to ₹10,000
• Essay Competition: up to ₹5,000
• Digital Poster: up to ₹5,000
• Hackathon: prizes announced at the closing ceremony on 30 October 2026.

Question 10

Is Unstop still required after registration?

Accepted Answer

No. Unstop was only for the initial sign-up. All submissions, team formation, hackathon access, and activities now happen exclusively on the official website: https://www.qffsrmap2026.com/learning/

If the portal says “You are not in the registered whitelist,” message us on WhatsApp with your Gmail and we will add you within 30 minutes.

Question 11

Whom should I contact for further information?

Accepted Answer

Join the official participant WhatsApp group for fast support:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/HoLFUpcm46L0qDE6VBdboW

For whitelist or portal issues, message us there with your full name and Gmail address.

Question 12

I see “You are not in the registered whitelist.” What do I do?

Accepted Answer

This means your Gmail has not yet been added to the portal. Steps to fix:
1. Send your Gmail address via the WhatsApp group.
2. We will add you within 30 minutes during working hours.
3. Log in at https://www.qffsrmap2026.com/learning/ once added.

Do not register again — just send us your Gmail.

Question 13

What topics can I write about for the Essay Competition?

Accepted Answer

You may choose any of the following:
• Prompt A: The Post-Quantum Cryptographic Migration — Balancing Vulnerability and Readiness
• Prompt B: Quantum Machine Learning — Fundamental Advantage vs Classical Baseline Realities
• Or any quantum computing topic of your own choice

Word limit: 800–1,200 words. Deadline: 12 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST.
Submit a PDF/DOCX (up to 15 MB) or a public Google Docs link on the portal under Day 3: Essay Competition.

Question 14

Where and when do I submit my Poster and Essay?

Accepted Answer

Submit on the official portal: https://www.qffsrmap2026.com/learning/

• Essay — Day 3 section → upload PDF/DOCX or paste a public document link
• Poster — Day 2 section → upload PDF/DOCX or paste a public Canva/Drive link
• Deadline for both: 12 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST

Ensure any shared links are set to “Anyone with the link can view.”

Question 15

How do I form a hackathon team and what is the team size?

Accepted Answer

For general registration: teams can range from 2 to 4 members according to the Universal Challenge Framework (up to 6 accommodated during initial portal setup).

Steps:
1. Log in at https://www.qffsrmap2026.com/learning/hackathon
2. Select your domain track and problem statement
3. Enter your team name and add teammates by their Gmail addresses
4. Teammates receive an invitation to accept on the portal

Every teammate's Gmail must be whitelisted first. If a teammate shows 'Not Found in Whitelist,' send us their Gmail on WhatsApp.

Phase 1 deadline: 13 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST.

Question 16

Where do I download the Processor A and B files for the hackathon?

Accepted Answer

There are no pre-compiled binaries to download. Processor A (5-qubit linear topology) and Processor B (9-qubit heavy-hex topology) are defined via coupling maps and noise models in the official Challenge Kit and Starter Guides in the organizer Drive folder.

Refer to the Technical FAQs below for full architectural specifications and graph topologies.

Question 17

Is there any registration or certificate fee?

Accepted Answer

Participation across all Qiskit Fall Fest 2026 events, webinars, competitions, and the hackathon is 100% free.

There is an optional ₹99 processing fee only if you wish to receive an official, cryptographically verified certificate of completion after completing the masterclasses and passing the quizzes.

Question 18

What skills can I gain by participating in Qiskit Fall Fest?

Accepted Answer

Participants gain hands-on experience with quantum computing, the Qiskit SDK, algorithm design, hardware-aware circuit optimization, technical writing, and collaborative project development — all directly applicable to research and industry roles in quantum computing.

Question 19

What is Qiskit Fall Fest 2026 Phase 1?

Accepted Answer

Phase 1 is the online qualification stage. You choose exactly one problem statement, implement its solution, run the same controlled experiment on Processor A and Processor B, compare the results, and submit a reproducible repository.

Question 20

How many people can be in a hackathon team?

Accepted Answer

The Universal Challenge Framework specifies teams of 2–4 members. Phase 2 continues with the same team unless the organizers explicitly announce otherwise.

Question 21

How many problem statements may we attempt in Phase 1?

Accepted Answer

Exactly one for the Phase 1 submission. Do not submit multiple problem statements. An Open-Innovation entry also counts as one problem statement and must follow the organizer-provided framework.

Question 22

What is the central objective of Phase 1?

Accepted Answer

Show not only the problem output, but how the same solution behaves on two processor architectures (Processor A and Processor B). Explain observed differences with measured evidence such as circuit depth, two-qubit gate count, SWAP overhead, qubit use, runtime, and the problem-specific metric.

Question 23

What is the Phase 1 timeline and submission deadline?

Accepted Answer

The materials describe the kickoff/course period as Oct 5–8 and online Phase 1 work as Oct 8–13. The participant instructions state that the qualification stage begins Oct 8. The stated submission deadline is Oct 13 at midnight (11:59 PM IST); review is Oct 14–16, and finalists are announced on the night of Oct 17.

Question 24

Where do I get the Starter Guide, and what does it contain?

Accepted Answer

Use the Starter Guide for your selected problem statement located in the official Challenge Kit drive folder. It contains the problem statement description, core algorithm/solution baseline, Processor A and Processor B configurations, quantum circuit guidance, transpilation and routing instructions, performance metrics, A/B architecture comparison guidelines, and report/submission instructions.

Question 25

Do organizers provide a repository naming convention?

Accepted Answer

Follow the repository naming convention announced by the Hackathon & Competitions Cell. If no convention has been shared directly with your team, check the latest official participant instructions before submitting rather than inventing a conflicting format. The official participant instructions point to the organizer Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1caxlXXeqjOkLmXGlimy_Etw0uPHSwyga.

Question 26

What should our team do first?

Accepted Answer

1. Choose one PS code.
2. Read its Starter Guide thoroughly.
3. Record its required inputs, baseline algorithm, expected outputs, and evaluation metrics.
4. Implement the core quantum/classical solution.
5. Run Processor A and Processor B simulations under consistent, controlled conditions.
6. Compare results, generate tables/figures, and complete the repository checklist.

Question 27

Can we change the official benchmark or problem instance?

Accepted Answer

Do not change the organizer-defined benchmark in a way that makes your results incomparable. Use the specified problem instance and constraints. Record all assumptions, parameters, and important implementation choices.

Question 28

Can we use a custom idea for Phase 1?

Accepted Answer

Yes, through the relevant Open-Innovation option (C-OI, O-OI, S-OI, Q-OI, P-OI), but it must be treated as your single selected PS. The Chemistry Open-Innovation track explicitly asks for a 1–2 page proposal submitted and approved; follow the relevant track Starter Guide and organizer instructions for the exact process.

Question 29

Is quantum advantage required to be proven?

Accepted Answer

No. The documents frame problem statements as tasks with real-world motivation and potential for quantum advantage, but Phase 1 evaluation focuses on correctness/performance, architecture analysis, reproducibility, and evidence-based technical reasoning. Do not claim an advantage that your results do not empirically demonstrate.

Question 30

What tracks are available in the hackathon?

Accepted Answer

Five specialized tracks are available:
1. Quantum Chemistry
2. Quantum Optimization
3. Quantum Simulation
4. Quantum Machine Learning
5. Post-Quantum Cryptography

Question 31

What are the listed Problem Statement (PS) codes across tracks?

Accepted Answer

• Quantum Chemistry: C1 (H₂ Ground State), C2 (Potential Energy Surface), C3 (Hardware-Efficient Chemistry), C-OI (Open Innovation)
• Quantum Optimization: O1 (Max-Cut QAOA), O2 (Constrained Portfolio), O3 (Knapsack Optimization), O-OI (Open Innovation)
• Quantum Simulation: S1 (Ising Ground State), S2 (Real-Time Dynamics), S3 (Trotter Error vs Noise), S-OI (Open Innovation)
• Quantum Machine Learning: Q1 (Biomedical Signal Classifier), Q2 (Quantum Kernel Classifier), Q3 (Noise-Resilient Variational Classifier), Q-OI (Open Innovation)
• Post-Quantum Cryptography: P1 (Quantum-Safe Secure Channel), P2 (Crypto Inventory & Migration), P3 (PQC Benchmarking Across Platforms), P-OI (Open Innovation)

Question 32

How do I know which task and metrics apply to me?

Accepted Answer

The selected PS determines your exact technical task, data/instances, evaluation metrics, and starter material. Use your chosen PS's specification and Starter Guide rather than applying another track's requirements.

Question 33

Can we combine two PSs or submit one project across two tracks?

Accepted Answer

No. The Phase 1 instructions strictly require exactly one selected PS. Keep your selected track and PS code clearly identified in your repository and submission form.

Question 34

What if our team chooses an Open Innovation problem statement?

Accepted Answer

Treat the approved proposal as your single PS. Follow the relevant track Open-Innovation description and organizer-provided framework. Do not assume approval or custom benchmark details that are not explicitly confirmed by organizers.

Question 35

Which processors are used in Phase 1?

Accepted Answer

Processor A and Processor B only. Processor C and the custom Processor D are reserved for Phase 2.

Question 36

What is the authoritative Processor A configuration?

Accepted Answer

Processor A has 5 physical qubits: q0, q1, q2, q3, q4. This is the corrected simulation-derived configuration specified in the supplied Processor A/B Benchmark Configuration document.

Question 37

What is the authoritative Processor B configuration?

Accepted Answer

Processor B has 9 physical qubits: q0 through q8. You must use all nine nodes as defined in the corrected simulation-derived benchmark configuration.

Question 38

Why do some materials show different processor counts or shapes?

Accepted Answer

The supplied materials acknowledge earlier documentation inconsistencies: one early slide deck described Processor B as 7 qubits, whereas the authoritative corrected simulation configuration specifies 9 qubits; Processor A written description also had discrepancies with its graph. For Phase 1, use the corrected simulation-derived A/B maps in the Processor A/B Benchmark Configuration document and the organizer-provided benchmark definitions.

Question 39

What is the official noise model for Phase 1?

Accepted Answer

The final exact noise parameters are frozen separately in the official Challenge Kit. The Starter Guide sample noise code is illustrative and instructs participants to replace it with official parameters once frozen. Do not infer official noise values from examples; use the organizer-provided A/B benchmark definitions as the single source of truth.

Question 40

Can I use the noise values shown in starter examples?

Accepted Answer

Not as official values unless the organizer-provided benchmark definition specifies them. The materials mention varying example CX-noise values (about 0.5%, p=0.005, and an illustrative p=0.01), and explicitly warn against inferring the official noise model from example code.

Question 41

Must the same solution be run on both Processor A and Processor B?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Run the same selected problem instance and controlled algorithmic settings on both. Record the applicable problem-specific metrics and architecture/resource metrics for each, then compare them systematically.

Question 42

What is a coupling map and why do SWAP gates matter?

Accepted Answer

The processor is represented as a directed/undirected coupling graph: vertices represent physical qubits and edges represent native two-qubit interactions. If an algorithmic two-qubit interaction is requested between non-adjacent qubits, Qiskit transpilation inserts SWAP gates (or equivalent decompositions), which increases circuit depth, two-qubit gate count, execution runtime, and susceptibility to decoherence and gate noise.

Question 43

What architectural metrics must be measured for Processor A and B?

Accepted Answer

At minimum, report:
• The selected PS primary output metric(s)
• Circuit depth (before and after transpilation)
• Two-qubit gate count (CX/CZ)
• SWAP/routing overhead
• Physical qubit and ancilla utilization
• Relevant runtime or execution shot cost
• Noise assumptions and reproducibility seeds

Question 44

Can we add extra experiments or physical QPU results?

Accepted Answer

Optional studies and physical IBM QPU execution results may be included as bonus analysis, but the geometry-aware challenge guidelines mandate that they must remain separate from the common required simulation benchmark.

Question 45

What do we submit for Phase 1 qualification?

Accepted Answer

Submit one accessible public GitHub repository (or organizer-approved Space format). The participant instructions require the repository URL and, if applicable, an optional Hugging Face Space URL.

Question 46

What files must be included in the submission repository?

Accepted Answer

At minimum, your repository must contain:
• main.ipynb or main.py (fully executed, end-to-end runnable)
• Processor A/B definitions/configurations (processors/ or equivalent folder)
• results/ directory containing final figures, tables, and exported data
• README.md with problem overview, setup, methodology, and key results
• A detailed technical report/analysis (in the notebook or as a PDF)
• Environment specification: requirements.txt, environment.yml, or pyproject.toml

Question 47

What should the repository README.md contain?

Accepted Answer

• Selected problem statement and track code
• Step-by-step setup and environment reproduction instructions
• Clear execution commands to run the solution
• Algorithmic methodology and architecture comparison overview
• Summary tables of key results, conclusions, and observed A/B differences

Question 48

What should the technical report explain?

Accepted Answer

• Problem statement context and formulation
• Approach, ansatz design, and classical baseline comparison
• Comprehensive results supported by clean tables and figures
• Processor A vs Processor B architecture and resource analysis
• Interpretation of observed hardware differences based on measured evidence (not speculation)
• Limitations, noise impact, and conclusions

Question 49

What should the results/ folder contain?

Accepted Answer

The Starter Guide strongly recommends machine-readable CSV/JSON data tables alongside generated figures so plots can be verified and regenerated. Include:
• Coupling-map diagrams for Processor A and B
• Logical vs transpiled circuit diagrams
• Comparative performance plots (depth, CX gates, energy/objective vs iterations/time)

Question 50

Does the notebook need to run from a clean environment?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The code must be completely reproducible from a clean virtual environment using the provided environment specification (requirements.txt). The repository should execute end-to-end without unhandled errors on the specified Qiskit backends.

Question 51

What information is needed in the submission form?

Accepted Answer

The participant instructions specify:
1. Registered team name and participant identification
2. Selected domain track and PS code
3. Public GitHub repository URL
4. Hugging Face Space URL (if applicable)
5. Confirmation that judges can access and clone the repository
6. Confirmation that the submitted commit is the final version to be evaluated

Question 52

Should we submit screenshots instead of raw result files?

Accepted Answer

No. The Starter Guide specifically recommends saving machine-readable CSV/JSON result files over static screenshots so evaluation scripts can verify and re-plot the data. Include clear figures in results/, but always retain the underlying numeric data.

Question 53

What happens if a required file or section is missing?

Accepted Answer

Automated evaluation scripts inspect repositories for mandatory files (main.ipynb, requirements.txt, results/, README) and execute sanity checks. Missing mandatory items incur score penalties under the Universal Challenge Framework rubric.

Question 54

How is Phase 1 evaluated? What is the scoring rubric?

Accepted Answer

The Universal Challenge Framework uses a 100-point rubric:
• 40 Points: Solution Correctness & Performance (algorithm implementation, validity of results, convergence, primary metric)
• 30 Points: Architecture Analysis (Processor A vs B comparisons, depth, two-qubit gates, routing/SWAP overhead, noise impact)
• 30 Points: Phase 2 Readiness & Architecture Insight (technical depth, evidence-based reasoning, code structure, report quality)

Visualizations, documentation clarity, and clean organization provide critical tie-breakers.

Question 55

What does solution correctness and performance mean in evaluation?

Accepted Answer

The code must execute without crashes, produce theoretically valid outputs, and be benchmarked against a known classical baseline or analytical exact reference. The primary domain metric (e.g. chemical accuracy Hartree error, approximation ratio, classification F1, or PQC throughput) must be properly calculated and reported.

Question 56

What does architecture analysis mean in evaluation?

Accepted Answer

Measure, quantify, and contrast hardware-level execution differences between Processor A and Processor B — including circuit depth, CX gate counts, SWAP routing costs, qubit utilization, and fidelity/variance. Explain differences using physical topology and transpilation evidence.

Question 57

How does the automated evaluation work?

Accepted Answer

Automated evaluation scripts verify repository accessibility, inspect directory structure for required files, validate environment specifications, and may execute critical notebook cells in a sandbox to check reproducibility and expected outputs.

Question 58

What is LLM-assisted review during evaluation?

Accepted Answer

An LLM pre-screening workflow scans submissions for completeness, structural coherence, required report sections, evidence backing claims, and potential omissions. The guidelines explicitly state that LLM review is an evaluation aid for judges, not a substitute for human technical judgment.

Question 59

What is the overall evaluation sequence after submission?

Accepted Answer

1. Repository accessibility and required-files verification.
2. Automated reproducibility and sanity test execution.
3. LLM-assisted review for completeness and documentation gaps.
4. Comprehensive evaluation by domain expert judges (technical depth, empirical evidence, report quality, and finalists selection).

Question 60

What is the official AI/LLM-use policy?

Accepted Answer

Participants must adhere to the official AI/LLM-use policy issued by the Hackathon & Competitions Cell. Any substantial generative AI assistance must be disclosed in the repository. Using AI tools does not relieve participants of the obligation to thoroughly understand, verify, and defend every line of code and technical analysis submitted.

Question 61

What reproducibility details should be reported in the submission?

Accepted Answer

The Starter Guide instructs teams to report:
• Exact processor coupling map definitions
• Qiskit circuit version and transpiler optimization levels
• Shot counts and random seeds used
• Noise model assumptions
• Pre- and post-transpilation depth, two-qubit gate counts, and SWAP counts
• Qubit and ancilla mapping layout
• Post-selection yield and statistical error bars/uncertainty where relevant

Question 62

How should we explain observed differences between Processor A and B?

Accepted Answer

Follow a structured 5-point analysis:
1. State what performance metric changed between A and B.
2. Identify the specific architectural differences (e.g. 5-qubit linear vs 9-qubit heavy-hex connectivity).
3. Demonstrate whether Qiskit transpilation inserted SWAPs or increased circuit depth.
4. Analyze how gate-set constraints and simulated noise contributed to fidelity or error differences.
5. Highlight remaining uncertainties and support every single claim with a table, plot, or log.

Question 63

What problem statements are in the Quantum Chemistry track?

Accepted Answer

• C1 — Molecular Ground-State Energy (H₂)
• C2 — Diatomic Potential Energy Surface
• C3 — Hardware-Efficient Chemistry (Hardware-Efficient H₂O or small molecule)
• C-OI — Open Innovation, custom quantum chemistry problem

Question 64

C1: What do we implement for Molecular Ground-State Energy (H₂)?

Accepted Answer

Implement Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) to compute the ground-state energy of H₂ in a minimal basis (STO-3G) at an equilibrium bond distance around 0.74 Å. Use a hardware-efficient or UCCSD ansatz, and compare your result against a known classical Full CI reference. Chemical accuracy is defined as approximately 1.6 mHartree (0.0016 Hartree).

FrequentlyAskedQuestions.

Phase 1 Processor A/B Benchmark & Challenge Advisory