Simple characterizations for commutativity of quantum weakest preconditions

In a recent letter [Information Processing Letters~104 (2007) 152-158], it has shown some sufficient conditions for commutativity of quantum weakest preconditions. This paper provides some alternative and simple characterizations for the commutativity of quantum weakest preconditions, i.e., Theorem 3.1, Theorem 3.2 and Proposition 3.3 in what follows. We also show that to characterize the commutativity of quantum weakest preconditions in terms of $[M,N]$ ($=MN-NM$) is hard in the sense of Proposition 4.1 and Proposition 4.2.Comment: Re-written, comments are welcom

Commutativity of quantum weakest preconditions

The notion of quantum weakest precondition was introduced by D'Hondt and P. Panangaden [E. D'Hondt, P. Panangaden, Quantum weakest preconditions, Mathematical Structures in Computer Science 16 (2006) 429-451], and they presented a representation of weakest precondition of a quantum program in the operator-sum form. In this Letter, we give an intrinsic characterization of the weakest precondition of a quantum program given in a system-environment model. Furthermore, some sufficient conditions for commutativity of quantum weakest preconditions are presented. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Predicate transformer semantics of quantum programs

© Cambridge University Press 2010. This chapter presents a systematic exposition of predicate transformer semantics for quantum programs. It is divided into two parts: The first part reviews the state transformer (forward) semantics of quantum programs according to Selinger’s suggestion of representing quantum programs by superoperators and elucidates D’Hondt-Panangaden’s theory of quantum weakest preconditions in detail. In the second part, we develop a quite complete predicate transformer semantics of quantum programs based on Birkhoff–von Neumann quantum logic by considering only quantum predicates expressed by projection operators. In particular, the universal conjunctivity and termination law of quantum programs are proved, and Hoare’s induction rule is established in the quantum setting

Foundations of quantum programming

Progress in the techniques of quantum devices has made people widely believe that large-scale and functional quantum computers will be eventually built. By then, super-powered quantum computer will solve many problems affecting economic and social life that cannot be addressed by classical computing. However, our experiences with classical computing suggest that once quantum computers become available in the future, quantum software will play a key role in exploiting their power, and quantum software market will even be much larger than quantum hardware market. Unfortunately, today's software development techniques are not suited to quantum computers due to the essential differences between the nature of the classical world and that of the quantum world. To lay a solid foundation for tomorrow's quantum software industry, it is critically essential to pursue systematic research into quantum programming methodology and techniques. © 2010 Springer-Verlag

Relating Operator Spaces via Adjunctions

This chapter uses categorical techniques to describe relations between various sets of operators on a Hilbert space, such as self-adjoint, positive, density, effect and projection operators. These relations, including various Hilbert-Schmidt isomorphisms of the form tr(A-), are expressed in terms of dual adjunctions, and maps between them. Of particular interest is the connection with quantum structures, via a dual adjunction between convex sets and effect modules. The approach systematically uses categories of modules, via their description as Eilenberg-Moore algebras of a monad

Healthiness from Duality

Healthiness is a good old question in program logics that dates back to Dijkstra. It asks for an intrinsic characterization of those predicate transformers which arise as the (backward) interpretation of a certain class of programs. There are several results known for healthiness conditions: for deterministic programs, nondeterministic ones, probabilistic ones, etc. Building upon our previous works on so-called state-and-effect triangles, we contribute a unified categorical framework for investigating healthiness conditions. We find the framework to be centered around a dual adjunction induced by a dualizing object, together with our notion of relative Eilenberg-Moore algebra playing fundamental roles too. The latter notion seems interesting in its own right in the context of monads, Lawvere theories and enriched categories.Comment: 13 pages, Extended version with appendices of a paper accepted to LICS 201

Semantics for a Quantum Programming Language by Operator Algebras

This paper presents a novel semantics for a quantum programming language by operator algebras, which are known to give a formulation for quantum theory that is alternative to the one by Hilbert spaces. We show that the opposite category of the category of W*-algebras and normal completely positive subunital maps is an elementary quantum flow chart category in the sense of Selinger. As a consequence, it gives a denotational semantics for Selinger's first-order functional quantum programming language QPL. The use of operator algebras allows us to accommodate infinite structures and to handle classical and quantum computations in a unified way.Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2014, arXiv:1412.810