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Quantum BC Seminar Series – Dr. Ulrike Stege
May 13 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Quantum BC Seminar Series
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 2pm BC Time with Dr. Ulrike Stege
Title: Tackling Constrained Optimization Challenges: A Perspective from a Computer Scientist
Abstract: I will provide an overview of quantum computing research and recent results from our group, focusing on two areas: quantum computing education and solving combinatorial optimization problems. While the ultimate goal of solving computationally hard problems is to find a provably optimal solution, practical constraints in real-world scenarios often necessitate focusing on efficiently obtaining high-quality, near-optimal solutions. Both Quantum Annealing and the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) are state-of-the-art hybrid quantum-classical approaches that solve these problems when encoded as unconstrained binary optimization problems. We introduce a novel framework, called SCOOP, to help overcome challenges associated with formulating and solving constrained combinatorial optimization problems as unconstrained binary optimization problems using QAOA. In the area of quantum computing education, our group aims to lower the entry barrier to learning quantum computing. To achieve this, we have developed tools that make quantum computing more engaging and support learning and understanding of its concepts.
Bio: Ulrike Stege is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and the Director of the Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) program in the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Victoria. She was Computer Science Department Chair at the University of Victoria from 2014-2018. She is a member of Quantum BC and an affiliate of British Columbia’s Quantum Algorithms Institute (QAI). She is a Principal Investigator of an NSERC CREATE on Quantum Computing. With her graduate students she works in the area of algorithm development for computationally hard problems, including hybrid quantum-classical algorithms. Ulrike’s interdisciplinary research areas include bioinformatics and cognitive psychology. She received a doctorate from ETH Zürich, Switzerland. Recent projects in bioinformatics focus on the identification of genomic regulatory sequences, as well as RNA and protein structure prediction.
Website: https://www.uvic.ca/ecs/computerscience/people/faculty/profiles/stege-ulrike.php
Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=TGhhTXFIQ3ZiUmNrN0pUa3FObTNydz09
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: 996727