21,976 research outputs found
Quantum algorithms for problems in number theory, algebraic geometry, and group theory
Quantum computers can execute algorithms that sometimes dramatically
outperform classical computation. Undoubtedly the best-known example of this is
Shor's discovery of an efficient quantum algorithm for factoring integers,
whereas the same problem appears to be intractable on classical computers.
Understanding what other computational problems can be solved significantly
faster using quantum algorithms is one of the major challenges in the theory of
quantum computation, and such algorithms motivate the formidable task of
building a large-scale quantum computer. This article will review the current
state of quantum algorithms, focusing on algorithms for problems with an
algebraic flavor that achieve an apparent superpolynomial speedup over
classical computation.Comment: 20 pages, lecture notes for 2010 Summer School on Diversities in
Quantum Computation/Information at Kinki Universit
Quantum Knitting
We analyze the connections between the mathematical theory of knots and
quantum physics by addressing a number of algorithmic questions related to both
knots and braid groups.
Knots can be distinguished by means of `knot invariants', among which the
Jones polynomial plays a prominent role, since it can be associated with
observables in topological quantum field theory.
Although the problem of computing the Jones polynomial is intractable in the
framework of classical complexity theory, it has been recently recognized that
a quantum computer is capable of approximating it in an efficient way. The
quantum algorithms discussed here represent a breakthrough for quantum
computation, since approximating the Jones polynomial is actually a `universal
problem', namely the hardest problem that a quantum computer can efficiently
handle.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures; to appear in Laser Journa
Quantum measurements and the Abelian Stabilizer Problem
We present a polynomial quantum algorithm for the Abelian stabilizer problem
which includes both factoring and the discrete logarithm. Thus we extend famous
Shor's results. Our method is based on a procedure for measuring an eigenvalue
of a unitary operator. Another application of this procedure is a polynomial
quantum Fourier transform algorithm for an arbitrary finite Abelian group. The
paper also contains a rather detailed introduction to the theory of quantum
computation.Comment: 22 pages, LATE
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