We consider quantum computational models defined via a Lie-algebraic theory.
In these models, specified initial states are acted on by Lie-algebraic quantum
gates and the expectation values of Lie algebra elements are measured at the
end. We show that these models can be efficiently simulated on a classical
computer in time polynomial in the dimension of the algebra, regardless of the
dimension of the Hilbert space where the algebra acts. Similar results hold for
the computation of the expectation value of operators implemented by a
gate-sequence. We introduce a Lie-algebraic notion of generalized mean-field
Hamiltonians and show that they are efficiently ("exactly") solvable by means
of a Jacobi-like diagonalization method. Our results generalize earlier ones on
fermionic linear optics computation and provide insight into the source of the
power of the conventional model of quantum computation.Comment: 6 pages; no figure