HPC Café

A close exchange with users is essential for the further development of the NHR@KIT services and infrastructures. For this reason, a new series of events has been launched, where operators and users can meet and exchange ideas in an informal setting: HPC Café.   In addition to our established contact channels and training courses, we offer the HPC Café at regular intervals (every first friday of a month).   The event will take place from 10 am to 12 pm with a keynote speech, which will be followed by a discussion.   Keynote speech topic for upcoming HPC Café:   April 4, 2025: Hybrid Quantum-Classical Optimization with the ProvideQ Toolbox by Domenik Eichhorn (KIT/KASTEL)   Abstract: Hybrid solvers for combinatorial optimization problems combine the advantages of classical and quantum computing to address challenging computational tasks. While theoretically promising, their practical applicability remains difficult due to the lack of a technological stack that seamlessly integrates quantum solutions with classical optimization frameworks. In this presentation, we introduce the ProvideQ toolbox, a software tool that enables users to adapt and configure hybrid solvers via Meta-Solver strategies. These strategies implement decomposition techniques that divide problems into classical and quantum subroutines, allowing for flexible and efficient hybrid optimization. The ProvideQ toolbox facilitates the interactive creation of such decompositions through a Meta-Solver configuration tool, integrating well-established classical techniques with quantum circuits executable on multiple backends. Alongside the introduction of ProvideQ, we also provide a general overview of the quantum computing and quantum software domains, setting the stage for understanding the challenges and opportunities in hybrid quantum-classical optimization.   Of course, a question and answer session is also planned. Here, users can address HPC-related topics and problems. We will try to find solutions together.   Would you like a presentation on a specific topic? Please let us know. --> office@nhr.kit.edu   Over coffee and cookies, the topics raised can be discussed in greater depth.   Please register on Indico event page in order to attend.   We look forward to seeing you there and hope for a lively participation!   For further information, please visit the event website at https://indico.scc.kit.edu/event/4802

On April 7. and 8. 2025, the Scientific Computing Center is hosting an in person Software Carpentry workshop, primarily open to graduate students and research staff at KIT.   What is a Software Carpentry Workshop ? A growing number of researchers spend more and more time building and using software, but few have ever been taught how to do this efficiently. In many cases they end up spending more time than necessary to create results whose reliability and reproducibility is not ensured. The aim of Software Carpentry is to teach researchers the fundamental skills that will help them be more productive while producing work of higher quality. We do that by teaching workshops where students learn how to automate tasks using the Unix shell, how to track and share work using version control, and how to write software in Python, R, or MATLAB that is readable, reusable, and reliable. During a workshop, short tutorials alternate with practical exercises, and all instruction is done via live coding (i.e. learners write their code along with the instructors).   This two-days workshop will cover the following topics: -    Automating tasks using the Unix shell -    Version control using Git -    Introduction to programming with Python   This session is intended for students and researchers who have little to no prior programming experience: lessons are designed for beginners and no prior knowledge on the tools that will be presented is required to attend the workshop.   You can find more information and register for this workshop on the dedicated website (https://mmesiti.github.io/2025-04-07-KIT/).   For more information about the Carpentries, see https://carpentries.org.

On April 7. and 8. 2025, the Scientific Computing Center is hosting an in person Software Carpentry workshop, primarily open to graduate students and research staff at KIT.   What is a Software Carpentry Workshop ? A growing number of researchers spend more and more time building and using software, but few have ever been taught how to do this efficiently. In many cases they end up spending more time than necessary to create results whose reliability and reproducibility is not ensured. The aim of Software Carpentry is to teach researchers the fundamental skills that will help them be more productive while producing work of higher quality. We do that by teaching workshops where students learn how to automate tasks using the Unix shell, how to track and share work using version control, and how to write software in Python, R, or MATLAB that is readable, reusable, and reliable. During a workshop, short tutorials alternate with practical exercises, and all instruction is done via live coding (i.e. learners write their code along with the instructors).   This two-days workshop will cover the following topics: -    Automating tasks using the Unix shell -    Version control using Git -    Introduction to programming with Python   This session is intended for students and researchers who have little to no prior programming experience: lessons are designed for beginners and no prior knowledge on the tools that will be presented is required to attend the workshop.   You can find more information and register for this workshop on the dedicated website (https://mmesiti.github.io/2025-04-07-KIT/).   For more information about the Carpentries, see https://carpentries.org.