155,609 research outputs found
An Introduction to Quantum Complexity Theory
We give a basic overview of computational complexity, query complexity, and
communication complexity, with quantum information incorporated into each of
these scenarios. The aim is to provide simple but clear definitions, and to
highlight the interplay between the three scenarios and currently-known quantum
algorithms.Comment: 28 pages, LaTeX, 11 figures within the text, to appear in "Collected
Papers on Quantum Computation and Quantum Information Theory", edited by C.
Macchiavello, G.M. Palma, and A. Zeilinger (World Scientific
Circuit complexity, proof complexity, and polynomial identity testing
We introduce a new algebraic proof system, which has tight connections to
(algebraic) circuit complexity. In particular, we show that any
super-polynomial lower bound on any Boolean tautology in our proof system
implies that the permanent does not have polynomial-size algebraic circuits
(VNP is not equal to VP). As a corollary to the proof, we also show that
super-polynomial lower bounds on the number of lines in Polynomial Calculus
proofs (as opposed to the usual measure of number of monomials) imply the
Permanent versus Determinant Conjecture. Note that, prior to our work, there
was no proof system for which lower bounds on an arbitrary tautology implied
any computational lower bound.
Our proof system helps clarify the relationships between previous algebraic
proof systems, and begins to shed light on why proof complexity lower bounds
for various proof systems have been so much harder than lower bounds on the
corresponding circuit classes. In doing so, we highlight the importance of
polynomial identity testing (PIT) for understanding proof complexity.
More specifically, we introduce certain propositional axioms satisfied by any
Boolean circuit computing PIT. We use these PIT axioms to shed light on
AC^0[p]-Frege lower bounds, which have been open for nearly 30 years, with no
satisfactory explanation as to their apparent difficulty. We show that either:
a) Proving super-polynomial lower bounds on AC^0[p]-Frege implies VNP does not
have polynomial-size circuits of depth d - a notoriously open question for d at
least 4 - thus explaining the difficulty of lower bounds on AC^0[p]-Frege, or
b) AC^0[p]-Frege cannot efficiently prove the depth d PIT axioms, and hence we
have a lower bound on AC^0[p]-Frege.
Using the algebraic structure of our proof system, we propose a novel way to
extend techniques from algebraic circuit complexity to prove lower bounds in
proof complexity
Immunity and Simplicity for Exact Counting and Other Counting Classes
Ko [RAIRO 24, 1990] and Bruschi [TCS 102, 1992] showed that in some
relativized world, PSPACE (in fact, ParityP) contains a set that is immune to
the polynomial hierarchy (PH). In this paper, we study and settle the question
of (relativized) separations with immunity for PH and the counting classes PP,
C_{=}P, and ParityP in all possible pairwise combinations. Our main result is
that there is an oracle A relative to which C_{=}P contains a set that is
immune to BPP^{ParityP}. In particular, this C_{=}P^A set is immune to PH^{A}
and ParityP^{A}. Strengthening results of Tor\'{a}n [J.ACM 38, 1991] and Green
[IPL 37, 1991], we also show that, in suitable relativizations, NP contains a
C_{=}P-immune set, and ParityP contains a PP^{PH}-immune set. This implies the
existence of a C_{=}P^{B}-simple set for some oracle B, which extends results
of Balc\'{a}zar et al. [SIAM J.Comp. 14, 1985; RAIRO 22, 1988] and provides the
first example of a simple set in a class not known to be contained in PH. Our
proof technique requires a circuit lower bound for ``exact counting'' that is
derived from Razborov's [Mat. Zametki 41, 1987] lower bound for majority.Comment: 20 page
Communication Complexity and Secure Function Evaluation
We suggest two new methodologies for the design of efficient secure
protocols, that differ with respect to their underlying computational models.
In one methodology we utilize the communication complexity tree (or branching
for f and transform it into a secure protocol. In other words, "any function f
that can be computed using communication complexity c can be can be computed
securely using communication complexity that is polynomial in c and a security
parameter". The second methodology uses the circuit computing f, enhanced with
look-up tables as its underlying computational model. It is possible to
simulate any RAM machine in this model with polylogarithmic blowup. Hence it is
possible to start with a computation of f on a RAM machine and transform it
into a secure protocol.
We show many applications of these new methodologies resulting in protocols
efficient either in communication or in computation. In particular, we
exemplify a protocol for the "millionaires problem", where two participants
want to compare their values but reveal no other information. Our protocol is
more efficient than previously known ones in either communication or
computation
Classical simulation of commuting quantum computations implies collapse of the polynomial hierarchy
We consider quantum computations comprising only commuting gates, known as
IQP computations, and provide compelling evidence that the task of sampling
their output probability distributions is unlikely to be achievable by any
efficient classical means. More specifically we introduce the class post-IQP of
languages decided with bounded error by uniform families of IQP circuits with
post-selection, and prove first that post-IQP equals the classical class PP.
Using this result we show that if the output distributions of uniform IQP
circuit families could be classically efficiently sampled, even up to 41%
multiplicative error in the probabilities, then the infinite tower of classical
complexity classes known as the polynomial hierarchy, would collapse to its
third level. We mention some further results on the classical simulation
properties of IQP circuit families, in particular showing that if the output
distribution results from measurements on only O(log n) lines then it may in
fact be classically efficiently sampled.Comment: 13 page
The computational complexity of PEPS
We determine the computational power of preparing Projected Entangled Pair
States (PEPS), as well as the complexity of classically simulating them, and
generally the complexity of contracting tensor networks. While creating PEPS
allows to solve PP problems, the latter two tasks are both proven to be
#P-complete. We further show how PEPS can be used to approximate ground states
of gapped Hamiltonians, and that creating them is easier than creating
arbitrary PEPS. The main tool for our proofs is a duality between PEPS and
postselection which allows to use existing results from quantum compexity.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Published version, plus a few extra
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