Scott Aaronson
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Limits on Efficient Computation in the Physical World
Limits on Efficient Computation in the Physical World by Scott Joel Aaronson Bachelor of Science (Cornell University) 2000 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science in the GRADUATE DIVISION of the UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Committee in charge: Professor Umesh Vazirani, Chair Professor Luca Trevisan Professor K. Birgitta Whaley Fall 2004 The dissertation of Scott Joel Aaronson is approved: Chair Date Date Date University of California, Berkeley Fall 2004 Limits on Efficient Computation in the Physical World Copyright 2004 by Scott Joel Aaronson 1 Abstract Limits on Efficient Computation in the Physical World by Scott Joel Aaronson Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science University of California, Berkeley Professor Umesh Vazirani, Chair More than a speculative technology, quantum computing seems to challenge our most basic intuitions about how the physical world should behave. In this thesis I show that, while some intuitions from classical computer science must be jettisoned in the light of modern physics, many others emerge nearly unscathed; and I use powerful tools from computational complexity theory to help determine which are which. In the first part of the thesis, I attack the common belief that quantum computing resembles classical exponential parallelism, by showing that quantum computers would face serious limitations on a wider range of problems than was previously known. In partic- ular, any quantum algorithm that solves the collision problem—that of deciding whether a sequence of n integers is one-to-one or two-to-one—must query the sequence Ω n1/5 times. -
The Complexity Zoo
The Complexity Zoo Scott Aaronson www.ScottAaronson.com LATEX Translation by Chris Bourke [email protected] 417 classes and counting 1 Contents 1 About This Document 3 2 Introductory Essay 4 2.1 Recommended Further Reading ......................... 4 2.2 Other Theory Compendia ............................ 5 2.3 Errors? ....................................... 5 3 Pronunciation Guide 6 4 Complexity Classes 10 5 Special Zoo Exhibit: Classes of Quantum States and Probability Distribu- tions 110 6 Acknowledgements 116 7 Bibliography 117 2 1 About This Document What is this? Well its a PDF version of the website www.ComplexityZoo.com typeset in LATEX using the complexity package. Well, what’s that? The original Complexity Zoo is a website created by Scott Aaronson which contains a (more or less) comprehensive list of Complexity Classes studied in the area of theoretical computer science known as Computa- tional Complexity. I took on the (mostly painless, thank god for regular expressions) task of translating the Zoo’s HTML code to LATEX for two reasons. First, as a regular Zoo patron, I thought, “what better way to honor such an endeavor than to spruce up the cages a bit and typeset them all in beautiful LATEX.” Second, I thought it would be a perfect project to develop complexity, a LATEX pack- age I’ve created that defines commands to typeset (almost) all of the complexity classes you’ll find here (along with some handy options that allow you to conveniently change the fonts with a single option parameters). To get the package, visit my own home page at http://www.cse.unl.edu/~cbourke/. -
On the Power of Quantum Fourier Sampling
On the Power of Quantum Fourier Sampling Bill Fefferman∗ Chris Umansy Abstract A line of work initiated by Terhal and DiVincenzo [TD02] and Bremner, Jozsa, and Shepherd [BJS10], shows that restricted classes of quantum computation can efficiently sample from probability distributions that cannot be exactly sampled efficiently on a classical computer, unless the PH collapses. Aaronson and Arkhipov [AA13] take this further by considering a distribution that can be sampled ef- ficiently by linear optical quantum computation, that under two feasible conjectures, cannot even be approximately sampled classically within bounded total variation distance, unless the PH collapses. In this work we use Quantum Fourier Sampling to construct a class of distributions that can be sampled exactly by a quantum computer. We then argue that these distributions cannot be approximately sampled classically, unless the PH collapses, under variants of the Aaronson-Arkhipov conjectures. In particular, we show a general class of quantumly sampleable distributions each of which is based on an “Efficiently Specifiable” polynomial, for which a classical approximate sampler implies an average-case approximation. This class of polynomials contains the Permanent but also includes, for example, the Hamiltonian Cycle polynomial, as well as many other familiar #P-hard polynomials. Since our distribution likely requires the full power of universal quantum computation, while the Aaronson-Arkhipov distribution uses only linear optical quantum computation with noninteracting bosons, why is this result interesting? We can think of at least three reasons: 1. Since the conjectures required in [AA13] have not yet been proven, it seems worthwhile to weaken them as much as possible. -
Closed Timelike Curves Make Quantum and Classical Computing Equivalent
Closed Timelike Curves Make Quantum and Classical Computing Equivalent Scott Aaronson∗ John Watrous† MIT University of Waterloo Abstract While closed timelike curves (CTCs) are not known to exist, studying their consequences has led to nontrivial insights in general relativity, quantum information, and other areas. In this paper we show that if CTCs existed, then quantum computers would be no more powerful than classical computers: both would have the (extremely large) power of the complexity class PSPACE, consisting of all problems solvable by a conventional computer using a polynomial amount of memory. This solves an open problem proposed by one of us in 2005, and gives an essentially complete understanding of computational complexity in the presence of CTCs. Following the work of Deutsch, we treat a CTC as simply a region of spacetime where a “causal consistency” condition is imposed, meaning that Nature has to produce a (probabilistic or quantum) fixed-point of some evolution operator. Our conclusion is then a consequence of the following theorem: given any quantum circuit (not necessarily unitary), a fixed-point of the circuit can be (implicitly) computed in polynomial space. This theorem might have independent applications in quantum information. 1 Introduction The possibility of closed timelike curves (CTCs) within general relativity and quantum gravity theories has been studied for almost a century [11, 15, 13]. A different line of research has sought to understand the implications of CTCs, supposing they existed, for quantum mechanics, computation, and information [9, 8, 5]. In this paper we contribute to the latter topic, by giving the first complete characterization of the computational power of CTCs. -
Entangled Many-Body States As Resources of Quantum Information Processing
ENTANGLED MANY-BODY STATES AS RESOURCES OF QUANTUM INFORMATION PROCESSING LI YING A thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy CENTRE FOR QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2013 DECLARATION I hereby declare that the thesis is my original work and it has been written by me in its entirety. I have duly acknowledged all the sources of information which have been used in the thesis. This thesis has also not been submitted for any degree in any university previously. LI YING 23 July 2013 Acknowledgments I am very grateful to have spent about four years at CQT working with Leong Chuan Kwek. He always brings me new ideas in science and has helped me to establish good collaborative relationships with other scien- tists. Kwek helped me a lot in my life. I am also very grateful to Simon C. Benjamin. He showd me how to do high quality researches in physics. Simon also helped me to improve my writing and presentation. I hope to have fruitful collaborations in the near future with Kwek and Simon. For my project about the ground-code MBQC (Chapter2), I am thank- ful to Tzu-Chieh Wei, Daniel E. Browne and Robert Raussendorf. In one afternoon, Tzu-Chieh showed me the idea of his recent paper in this topic in the quantum cafe, which encouraged me to think about the ground- code MBQC. Dan and Robert have a high level of comprehension on the subject of the MBQC. And we had some very interesting discussions and communications. I am grateful to Sean D. -
QIP 2010 Tutorial and Scientific Programmes
QIP 2010 15th – 22nd January, Zürich, Switzerland Tutorial and Scientific Programmes asymptotically large number of channel uses. Such “regularized” formulas tell us Friday, 15th January very little. The purpose of this talk is to give an overview of what we know about 10:00 – 17:10 Jiannis Pachos (Univ. Leeds) this need for regularization, when and why it happens, and what it means. I will Why should anyone care about computing with anyons? focus on the quantum capacity of a quantum channel, which is the case we understand best. This is a short course in topological quantum computation. The topics to be covered include: 1. Introduction to anyons and topological models. 15:00 – 16:55 Daniel Nagaj (Slovak Academy of Sciences) 2. Quantum Double Models. These are stabilizer codes, that can be described Local Hamiltonians in quantum computation very much like quantum error correcting codes. They include the toric code This talk is about two Hamiltonian Complexity questions. First, how hard is it to and various extensions. compute the ground state properties of quantum systems with local Hamiltonians? 3. The Jones polynomials, their relation to anyons and their approximation by Second, which spin systems with time-independent (and perhaps, translationally- quantum algorithms. invariant) local interactions could be used for universal computation? 4. Overview of current state of topological quantum computation and open Aiming at a participant without previous understanding of complexity theory, we will discuss two locally-constrained quantum problems: k-local Hamiltonian and questions. quantum k-SAT. Learning the techniques of Kitaev and others along the way, our first goal is the understanding of QMA-completeness of these problems. -
Computational Pseudorandomness, the Wormhole Growth Paradox, and Constraints on the Ads/CFT Duality
Computational Pseudorandomness, the Wormhole Growth Paradox, and Constraints on the AdS/CFT Duality Adam Bouland Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, 617 Soda Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A. [email protected] Bill Fefferman Department of Computer Science, University of Chicago, 5730 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, U.S.A. [email protected] Umesh Vazirani Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, 671 Soda Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, U.S.A. [email protected] Abstract The AdS/CFT correspondence is central to efforts to reconcile gravity and quantum mechanics, a fundamental goal of physics. It posits a duality between a gravitational theory in Anti de Sitter (AdS) space and a quantum mechanical conformal field theory (CFT), embodied in a map known as the AdS/CFT dictionary mapping states to states and operators to operators. This dictionary map is not well understood and has only been computed on special, structured instances. In this work we introduce cryptographic ideas to the study of AdS/CFT, and provide evidence that either the dictionary must be exponentially hard to compute, or else the quantum Extended Church-Turing thesis must be false in quantum gravity. Our argument has its origins in a fundamental paradox in the AdS/CFT correspondence known as the wormhole growth paradox. The paradox is that the CFT is believed to be “scrambling” – i.e. the expectation value of local operators equilibrates in polynomial time – whereas the gravity theory is not, because the interiors of certain black holes known as “wormholes” do not equilibrate and instead their volume grows at a linear rate for at least an exponential amount of time. -
Research Statement Bill Fefferman, University of Maryland/NIST
Research Statement Bill Fefferman, University of Maryland/NIST Since the discovery of Shor's algorithm in the mid 1990's, it has been known that quan- tum computers can efficiently solve integer factorization, a problem of great practical relevance with no known efficient classical algorithm [1]. The importance of this result is impossible to overstate: the conjectured intractability of the factoring problem provides the basis for the se- curity of the modern internet. However, it may still be a few decades before we build universal quantum computers capable of running Shor's algorithm to factor integers of cryptographically relevant size. In addition, we have little complexity theoretic evidence that factoring is com- putationally hard. Consequently, Shor's algorithm can only be seen as the first step toward understanding the power of quantum computation, which has become one of the primary goals of theoretical computer science. My research focuses not only on understanding the power of quantum computers of the indefinite future, but also on the desire to develop the foundations of computational complexity to rigorously analyze the capabilities and limitations of present-day and near-term quantum devices which are not yet fully scalable quantum computers. Furthermore, I am interested in using these capabilities and limitations to better understand the potential for cryptography in a fundamentally quantum mechanical world. 1 Comparing quantum and classical nondeterministic computation Starting with the foundational paper of Bernstein and Vazirani it has been conjectured that quantum computers are capable of solving problems whose solutions cannot be found, or even verified efficiently on a classical computer [2]. -
NP-Complete Problems and Physical Reality
NP-complete Problems and Physical Reality Scott Aaronson∗ Abstract Can NP-complete problems be solved efficiently in the physical universe? I survey proposals including soap bubbles, protein folding, quantum computing, quantum advice, quantum adia- batic algorithms, quantum-mechanical nonlinearities, hidden variables, relativistic time dilation, analog computing, Malament-Hogarth spacetimes, quantum gravity, closed timelike curves, and “anthropic computing.” The section on soap bubbles even includes some “experimental” re- sults. While I do not believe that any of the proposals will let us solve NP-complete problems efficiently, I argue that by studying them, we can learn something not only about computation but also about physics. 1 Introduction “Let a computer smear—with the right kind of quantum randomness—and you create, in effect, a ‘parallel’ machine with an astronomical number of processors . All you have to do is be sure that when you collapse the system, you choose the version that happened to find the needle in the mathematical haystack.” —From Quarantine [31], a 1992 science-fiction novel by Greg Egan If I had to debate the science writer John Horgan’s claim that basic science is coming to an end [48], my argument would lean heavily on one fact: it has been only a decade since we learned that quantum computers could factor integers in polynomial time. In my (unbiased) opinion, the showdown that quantum computing has forced—between our deepest intuitions about computers on the one hand, and our best-confirmed theory of the physical world on the other—constitutes one of the most exciting scientific dramas of our time. -
Manipulating Entanglement Sudden Death in Two Coupled Two-Level
Manipulating entanglement sudden death in two coupled two-level atoms interacting off-resonance with a radiation field: an exact treatment Gehad Sadieka,1, 2 Wiam Al-Drees,3 and M. Sebaweh Abdallahb4 1Department of Applied Physics and Astronomy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE 2Department of Physics, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia 4Department of Mathematics, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia arXiv:1911.08208v1 [quant-ph] 19 Nov 2019 a Corresponding author: [email protected] b Deceased. 1 Abstract We study a model of two coupled two-level atoms (qubits) interacting off-resonance (at non-zero detuning) with a single mode radiation field. This system is of special interest in the field of quan- tum information processing (QIP) and can be realized in electron spin states in quantum dots or Rydberg atoms in optical cavities and superconducting qubits in linear resonators. We present an exact analytical solution for the time evolution of the system starting from any initial state. Uti- lizing this solution, we show how the entanglement sudden death (ESD), which represents a major threat to QIP, can be efficiently controlled by tuning atom-atom coupling and non-zero detuning. We demonstrate that while one of these two system parameters may not separately affect the ESD, combining the two can be very effective, as in the case of an initial correlated Bell state. However in other cases, such as a W-like initial state, they may have a competing impacts on ESD. Moreover, their combined effect can be used to create ESD in the system as in the case of an anti-correlated initial Bell state. -
Quantum Information Processing II: Implementations
Lecture Quantum Information Processing II: Implementations spring term (FS) 2017 Lectures & Exercises: Andreas Wallraff, Christian Kraglund Andersen, Christopher Eichler, Sebastian Krinner Please take a seat offices:in HPFthe frontD 8/9 (AW),center D part14 (CKA), of the D lecture2 (SK), D hall 17 (SK) ifETH you Hoenggerberg do not mind. email: [email protected] web: www.qudev.ethz.ch moodle: https://moodle-app2.let.ethz.ch/course/view.php?id=3151 What is this lecture about? Introduction to experimental realizations of systems for quantum information processing (QIP) Questions: • How can one use quantum physics to process and communicate information more efficiently than using classical physics only? ► QIP I: Concepts • How does one design, build and operate physical systems for this purpose? ► QIP II: Implementations Is it really interesting? Goals of the Lecture • generally understand how quantum physics is used for – quantum information processing – quantum communication – quantum simulation – quantum sensing • know basic implementations of important quantum algorithms – Deutsch-Josza Algorithm – searching in a database (Grover algorithm) Concept Question You are searching for a specific element in an unsorted database with N entries (e.g. the phone numbers in a regular phone book). How many entries do you have to look at (on average) until you have found the item you were searching for? 1. N^2 2. N Log(N) 3. N 4. N/2 5. Sqrt(N) 6. 1 Goals of the Lecture • generally understand how quantum physics is used for – quantum information -
Quantum Computational Complexity Theory Is to Un- Derstand the Implications of Quantum Physics to Computational Complexity Theory
Quantum Computational Complexity John Watrous Institute for Quantum Computing and School of Computer Science University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Article outline I. Definition of the subject and its importance II. Introduction III. The quantum circuit model IV. Polynomial-time quantum computations V. Quantum proofs VI. Quantum interactive proof systems VII. Other selected notions in quantum complexity VIII. Future directions IX. References Glossary Quantum circuit. A quantum circuit is an acyclic network of quantum gates connected by wires: the gates represent quantum operations and the wires represent the qubits on which these operations are performed. The quantum circuit model is the most commonly studied model of quantum computation. Quantum complexity class. A quantum complexity class is a collection of computational problems that are solvable by a cho- sen quantum computational model that obeys certain resource constraints. For example, BQP is the quantum complexity class of all decision problems that can be solved in polynomial time by a arXiv:0804.3401v1 [quant-ph] 21 Apr 2008 quantum computer. Quantum proof. A quantum proof is a quantum state that plays the role of a witness or certificate to a quan- tum computer that runs a verification procedure. The quantum complexity class QMA is defined by this notion: it includes all decision problems whose yes-instances are efficiently verifiable by means of quantum proofs. Quantum interactive proof system. A quantum interactive proof system is an interaction between a verifier and one or more provers, involving the processing and exchange of quantum information, whereby the provers attempt to convince the verifier of the answer to some computational problem.