🔥 drop Python 3.8 support

[burgholzer]

Description

Python 3.8 will reach end of live in October 2024. Qiskit is already issuing deprecation warnings since a couple of releases when using it on Python 3.8. This PR officially drops support for Python 3.8 in mqt-core.

Checklist:

• [x] The pull request only contains commits that are related to it.
• [x] I have added appropriate tests and documentation.
• [x] I have made sure that all CI jobs on GitHub pass.
• [x] The pull request introduces no new warnings and follows the project's style guidelines.

[codecov[bot]]

Codecov Report

All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests :white_check_mark:

Project coverage is 87.0%. Comparing base (11f7ab0) to head (77394c7). Report is 1 commits behind head on main.

Additional details and impacted files

[](https://app.codecov.io/gh/cda-tum/mqt-core/pull/684?src=pr&el=tree&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=github&utm_content=comment&utm_campaign=pr+comments&utm_term=cda-tum) ```diff @@ Coverage Diff @@ ## main #684 +/- ## ======================================= - Coverage 87.1% 87.0% -0.1% ======================================= Files 125 125 Lines 13782 13781 -1 Branches 2164 2164 ======================================= - Hits 12008 11995 -13 - Misses 1774 1786 +12 ``` | [Flag](https://app.codecov.io/gh/cda-tum/mqt-core/pull/684/flags?src=pr&el=flags&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=github&utm_content=comment&utm_campaign=pr+comments&utm_term=cda-tum) | Coverage Δ | | |---|---|---| | [cpp](https://app.codecov.io/gh/cda-tum/mqt-core/pull/684/flags?src=pr&el=flag&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=github&utm_content=comment&utm_campaign=pr+comments&utm_term=cda-tum) | `86.6% <ø> (-0.1%)` | :arrow_down: | | [python](https://app.codecov.io/gh/cda-tum/mqt-core/pull/684/flags?src=pr&el=flag&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=github&utm_content=comment&utm_campaign=pr+comments&utm_term=cda-tum) | `99.7% <100.0%> (ø)` | | | [Files with missing lines](https://app.codecov.io/gh/cda-tum/mqt-core/pull/684?dropdown=coverage&src=pr&el=tree&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=github&utm_content=comment&utm_campaign=pr+comments&utm_term=cda-tum) | Coverage Δ | | |---|---|---| | [src/mqt/core/plugins/qiskit.py](https://app.codecov.io/gh/cda-tum/mqt-core/pull/684?src=pr&el=tree&filepath=src%2Fmqt%2Fcore%2Fplugins%2Fqiskit.py&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=github&utm_content=comment&utm_campaign=pr+comments&utm_term=cda-tum#diff-c3JjL21xdC9jb3JlL3BsdWdpbnMvcWlza2l0LnB5) | `100.0% <100.0%> (ø)` | | ... and [2 files with indirect coverage changes](https://app.codecov.io/gh/cda-tum/mqt-core/pull/684/indirect-changes?src=pr&el=tree-more&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=github&utm_content=comment&utm_campaign=pr+comments&utm_term=cda-tum)