16 research outputs found
On the robustness of bucket brigade quantum RAM
We study the robustness of the bucket brigade quantum random access memory
model introduced by Giovannetti, Lloyd, and Maccone [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100,
160501 (2008)]. Due to a result of Regev and Schiff [ICALP '08 pp. 773], we
show that for a class of error models the error rate per gate in the bucket
brigade quantum memory has to be of order (where is the
size of the memory) whenever the memory is used as an oracle for the quantum
searching problem. We conjecture that this is the case for any realistic error
model that will be encountered in practice, and that for algorithms with
super-polynomially many oracle queries the error rate must be
super-polynomially small, which further motivates the need for quantum error
correction. By contrast, for algorithms such as matrix inversion [Phys. Rev.
Lett. 103, 150502 (2009)] or quantum machine learning [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113,
130503 (2014)] that only require a polynomial number of queries, the error rate
only needs to be polynomially small and quantum error correction may not be
required. We introduce a circuit model for the quantum bucket brigade
architecture and argue that quantum error correction for the circuit causes the
quantum bucket brigade architecture to lose its primary advantage of a small
number of "active" gates, since all components have to be actively error
corrected.Comment: Replaced with the published version. 13 pages, 9 figure
Optimal phase estimation in quantum networks
We address the problem of estimating the phase phi given N copies of the
phase rotation u(phi) within an array of quantum operations in finite
dimensions. We first consider the special case where the array consists of an
arbitrary input state followed by any arrangement of the N phase rotations, and
ending with a POVM. We optimise the POVM for a given input state and fixed
arrangement. Then we also optimise the input state for some specific cost
functions. In all cases, the optimal POVM is equivalent to a quantum Fourier
transform in an appropriate basis. Examples and applications are given.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures; this is an extended version of
arXiv:quant-ph/0609160. v2: minor corrections in reference
Approximating Fractional Time Quantum Evolution
An algorithm is presented for approximating arbitrary powers of a black box
unitary operation, , where is a real number, and
is a black box implementing an unknown unitary. The complexity of
this algorithm is calculated in terms of the number of calls to the black box,
the errors in the approximation, and a certain `gap' parameter. For general
and large , one should apply a total of times followed by our procedure for approximating the fractional
power . An example is also given where for
large integers this method is more efficient than direct application of
copies of . Further applications and related algorithms are also
discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
The quantum speed up as advanced knowledge of the solution
With reference to a search in a database of size N, Grover states: "What is
the reason that one would expect that a quantum mechanical scheme could
accomplish the search in O(square root of N) steps? It would be insightful to
have a simple two line argument for this without having to describe the details
of the search algorithm". The answer provided in this work is: "because any
quantum algorithm takes the time taken by a classical algorithm that knows in
advance 50% of the information that specifies the solution of the problem".
This empirical fact, unnoticed so far, holds for both quadratic and exponential
speed ups and is theoretically justified in three steps: (i) once the physical
representation is extended to the production of the problem on the part of the
oracle and to the final measurement of the computer register, quantum
computation is reduction on the solution of the problem under a relation
representing problem-solution interdependence, (ii) the speed up is explained
by a simple consideration of time symmetry, it is the gain of information about
the solution due to backdating, to before running the algorithm, a
time-symmetric part of the reduction on the solution; this advanced knowledge
of the solution reduces the size of the solution space to be explored by the
algorithm, (iii) if I is the information acquired by measuring the content of
the computer register at the end of the algorithm, the quantum algorithm takes
the time taken by a classical algorithm that knows in advance 50% of I, which
brings us to the initial statement.Comment: 23 pages, to be published in IJT
The 50% advanced information rule of the quantum algorithms
The oracle chooses a function out of a known set of functions and gives to
the player a black box that, given an argument, evaluates the function. The
player should find out a certain character of the function through function
evaluation. This is the typical problem addressed by the quantum algorithms. In
former theoretical work, we showed that a quantum algorithm requires the number
of function evaluations of a classical algorithm that knows in advance 50% of
the information that specifies the solution of the problem. Here we check that
this 50% rule holds for the main quantum algorithms. In the structured
problems, a classical algorithm with the advanced information, to identify the
missing information should perform one function evaluation. The speed up is
exponential since a classical algorithm without advanced information should
perform an exponential number of function evaluations. In unstructured database
search, a classical algorithm that knows in advance 50% of the n bits of the
database location, to identify the n/2 missing bits should perform Order(2
power n/2) function evaluations. The speed up is quadratic since a classical
algorithm without advanced information should perform Order(2 power n) function
evaluations. The 50% rule identifies the problems solvable with a quantum sped
up in an entirely classical way, in fact by comparing two classical algorithms,
with and without the advanced information.Comment: 18 pages, submitted with minor changes to the International Journal
of Theoretical Physic
Quantum algorithms for algebraic problems
Quantum computers can execute algorithms that dramatically outperform
classical computation. As the best-known example, Shor discovered an efficient
quantum algorithm for factoring integers, whereas factoring appears to be
difficult for 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 reviews the current state of quantum algorithms, focusing on algorithms
with superpolynomial speedup over classical computation, and in particular, on
problems with an algebraic flavor.Comment: 52 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Reviews of Modern Physic
Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene
To identify novel genes associated with ALS, we undertook two lines of investigation. We carried out a genome-wide association study comparing 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls. Independently, we performed a rare variant burden analysis comparing 1,138 index familial ALS cases and 19,494 controls. Through both approaches, we identified kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) as a novel gene associated with ALS. Interestingly, mutations predominantly in the N-terminal motor domain of KIF5A are causative for two neurodegenerative diseases: hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG10) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2). In contrast, ALS-associated mutations are primarily located at the C-terminal cargo-binding tail domain and patients harboring loss-of-function mutations displayed an extended survival relative to typical ALS cases. Taken together, these results broaden the phenotype spectrum resulting from mutations in KIF5A and strengthen the role of cytoskeletal defects in the pathogenesis of ALS.Peer reviewe