Add support for Qiskit from IBM: software stack for quantum computing and algorithms research. Build, optimize, and execute quantum workloads at scale.

scientific-skills/qiskit/references/setup.md

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+# Qiskit Setup and Installation
+
+## Installation
+
+Install Qiskit using uv:
+
+```bash
+uv pip install qiskit
+```
+
+For visualization capabilities:
+
+```bash
+uv pip install "qiskit[visualization]" matplotlib
+```
+
+## Python Environment Setup
+
+Create and activate a virtual environment to isolate dependencies:
+
+```bash
+# macOS/Linux
+python3 -m venv .venv
+source .venv/bin/activate
+
+# Windows
+python -m venv .venv
+.venv\Scripts\activate
+```
+
+## Supported Python Versions
+
+Check the [Qiskit PyPI page](https://pypi.org/project/qiskit/) for currently supported Python versions. As of 2025, Qiskit typically supports Python 3.8+.
+
+## IBM Quantum Account Setup
+
+To run circuits on real IBM Quantum hardware, you need an IBM Quantum account and API token.
+
+### Creating an Account
+
+1. Visit [IBM Quantum Platform](https://quantum.ibm.com/)
+2. Sign up for a free account
+3. Navigate to your account settings to retrieve your API token
+
+### Configuring Authentication
+
+Save your IBM Quantum credentials:
+
+```python
+from qiskit_ibm_runtime import QiskitRuntimeService
+
+# Save credentials (first time only)
+QiskitRuntimeService.save_account(
+    channel="ibm_quantum",
+    token="YOUR_IBM_QUANTUM_TOKEN"
+)
+
+# Later sessions - load saved credentials
+service = QiskitRuntimeService()
+```
+
+### Environment Variable Method
+
+Alternatively, set the API token as an environment variable:
+
+```bash
+export QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN="YOUR_IBM_QUANTUM_TOKEN"
+```
+
+## Local Development (No Account Required)
+
+You can build and test quantum circuits locally without an IBM Quantum account using simulators:
+
+```python
+from qiskit import QuantumCircuit
+from qiskit.primitives import StatevectorSampler
+
+qc = QuantumCircuit(2)
+qc.h(0)
+qc.cx(0, 1)
+qc.measure_all()
+
+# Run locally with simulator
+sampler = StatevectorSampler()
+result = sampler.run([qc], shots=1024).result()
+```
+
+## Verifying Installation
+
+Test your installation:
+
+```python
+import qiskit
+print(qiskit.__version__)
+
+from qiskit import QuantumCircuit
+qc = QuantumCircuit(2)
+print("Qiskit installed successfully!")
+```