Quantum Complexity Theory Research Articles

Quantum Computational Complexity and Symmetry

Testing the symmetries of quantum states and channels provides a way to assess their usefulness for different physical, computational, and communication tasks. Here, we establish several complexity-theoretic results that classify the difficulty of symmetry-testing problems involving a unitary representation of a group and a state or a channel that is being tested. In particular, we prove that various such symmetry-testing problems are complete for BQP (bounded-error quantum polynomial time), QMA (quantum Merlin-Arthur), QSZK (quantum statistical zero-knowledge), QIP(2) (two-message quantum interactive proofs), QIP_EB(2) (two-message quantum interactive proofs restricted to entanglement-breaking provers), and QIP (quantum interactive proofs), thus spanning the prominent classes of the quantum interactive proof hierarchy and forging a non-trivial connection between symmetry and quantum computational complexity. Finally, we prove the inclusion of two Hamiltonian symmetry-testing problems in QMA and QAM, while leaving it as an intriguing open question to determine whether these problems are complete for these classes.

Complexity equals anything can grow forever in de Sitter space

Recent developments in anti–de Sitter holography point towards the association of an infinite class of covariant objects, the simplest one being codimension-one extremal volumes, with quantum computational complexity in the microscopic description. One of the defining features of these gravitational complexity proposals is describing the persistent growth of black hole interior in classical gravity. It is tempting to assume that the gravitational complexity proposals apply also to gravity outside their native anti–de Sitter setting in which case they may reveal new truths about these cases with much less understood microscopics. Recent first steps in this direction in de Sitter static patch demonstrated a very different behavior from anti–de Sitter holography deemed hyperfast growth; diverging complexification rate after a finite time. We show that this feature is not a necessity and among gravitational complexity proposals there are ones, that predict linear or exponential late-time growth behaviors for complexity in de Sitter static patches persisting classically forever. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Polynomial Equivalence of Complexity Geometries

This paper proves the polynomial equivalence of a broad class of definitions of quantum computational complexity. We study right-invariant metrics on the unitary group—often called `complexity geometries' following the definition of quantum complexity proposed by Nielsen—and delineate the equivalence class of metrics that have the same computational power as quantum circuits. Within this universality class, any unitary that can be reached in one metric can be approximated in any other metric in the class with a slowdown that is at-worst polynomial in the length and number of qubits and inverse-polynomial in the permitted error. We describe the equivalence classes for two different kinds of error we might tolerate: Killing-distance error, and operator-norm error. All metrics in both equivalence classes are shown to have exponential diameter; all metrics in the operator-norm equivalence class are also shown to give an alternative definition of the quantum complexity class BQP. My results extend those of Nielsen et al., who in 2006 proved that one particular metric is polynomially equivalent to quantum circuits. The Nielsen et al. metric is incredibly highly curved. I show that the greatly enlarged equivalence class established in this paper also includes metrics that have modest curvature. I argue that the modest curvature makes these metrics more amenable to the tools of differential geometry, and therefore makes them more promising starting points for Nielsen's program of using differential geometry to prove complexity lowerbounds. In a previous paper my collaborators and I—inspired by the UV/IR decoupling that happens in the phenomenon of renormalization—conjectured that high- dimensional metrics that look very different at short scales will often nevertheless give rise at long scales to the same emergent effective geometry. The results of this paper provide evidence for those conjectures, since many complexity metrics that have radically different penalty factors and therefore radically different short- distance properties are shown to belong to the same long-distance equivalence class.

A distribution testing oracle separation between QMA and QCMA

It is a long-standing open question in quantum complexity theory whether the definition of non−deterministic quantum computation requires quantum witnesses (QMA) or if classical witnesses suffice (QCMA). We make progress on this question by constructing a randomized classical oracle separating the respective computational complexity classes. Previous separations \cite{ak-oracle}, \cite{fefferman-kimmel} required a quantum unitary oracle. The separating problem is deciding whether a distribution supported on regular un-directed graphs either consists of multiple connected components (yes instances) or consists of one expanding connected component (no instances) where the graph is given in an adjacency-list format by the oracle. Therefore, the oracle is a distribution over n-bit boolean functions.

Schrödinger as a Quantum Programmer: Estimating Entanglement via Steering

Quantifying entanglement is an important task by which the resourcefulness of a quantum state can be measured. Here, we develop a quantum algorithm that tests for and quantifies the separability of a general bipartite state by using the quantum steering effect, the latter initially discovered by Schrödinger. Our separability test consists of a distributed quantum computation involving two parties: a computationally limited client, who prepares a purification of the state of interest, and a computationally unbounded server, who tries to steer the reduced systems to a probabilistic ensemble of pure product states. To design a practical algorithm, we replace the role of the server with a combination of parameterized unitary circuits and classical optimization techniques to perform the necessary computation. The result is a variational quantum steering algorithm (VQSA), a modified separability test that is implementable on quantum computers that are available today. We then simulate our VQSA on noisy quantum simulators and find favorable convergence properties on the examples tested. We also develop semidefinite programs, executable on classical computers, that benchmark the results obtained from our VQSA. Thus, our findings provide a meaningful connection between steering, entanglement, quantum algorithms, and quantum computational complexity theory. They also demonstrate the value of a parameterized mid-circuit measurement in a VQSA.

Universality in long-distance geometry and quantum complexity

In physics, two systems that radically differ at short scales can exhibit strikingly similar macroscopic behaviour: they are part of the same long-distance universality class1. Here we apply this viewpoint to geometry and initiate a program of classifying homogeneous metrics on group manifolds2 by their long-distance properties. We show that many metrics on low-dimensional Lie groups have markedly different short-distance properties but nearly identical distance functions at long distances, and provide evidence that this phenomenon is even more robust in high dimensions. An application of these ideas of particular interest to physics and computer science is complexity geometry3–7—the study of quantum computational complexity using Riemannian geometry. We argue for the existence of a large universality class of definitions of quantum complexity, each linearly related to the other, a much finer-grained equivalence than typically considered. We conjecture that a new effective metric emerges at larger complexities that describes a broad class of complexity geometries, insensitive to various choices of microscopic penalty factors. We discuss the implications for recent conjectures in quantum gravity.

Quaternionic quantum Turing machines

Quaternionic quantum theory is an extension of the standard complex quantum theory. Inspired by this, we study the quaternionic quantum computation using quaternions. We first develop a theory of quaternionic quantum Turing machines as a model of quaternionic quantum computation. Quaternionic quantum Turing machines can also be seen as a generalization of the complex quantum Turing machine. Then, we introduce the weighted sum of quaternionic quantum Turing machines and establish some of their basic properties.

The cosmological switchback effect

The volume behind the black hole horizon was suggested as a holographic dual for the quantum computational complexity of the boundary state in AdS/CFT. This identification is strongly motivated by the switchback effect: a characteristic delay of complexity growth in reaction to an inserted perturbation, modelled as a shockwave in the bulk. Recent proposals of de Sitter (dS) holography suggest that a dual theory could be living on a stretched horizon near the cosmological horizon. We study how the spacetime volume behind the cosmological horizon in Schwarzschild-dS space reacts to the insertion of shockwaves in an attempt to characterize the properties of this dual theory. We demonstrate that a switchback effect can be observed in dS space. That is, the growth of complexity is delayed in reaction to a perturbation. This delay is longer for earlier shocks and depends on a scrambling time which is logarithmic in the strength of the shockwave and proportional to the inverse temperature of the cosmological dS horizon. This behavior is very similar to what happens for AdS black holes, albeit the geometric origin of the effect is somewhat different.

Quaternionic quantum automata

Quaternionic quantum theory is a generalization of the standard complex quantum theory. Inspired by this, we study the quaternionic quantum computation using quaternions. We first develop a theory of quaternionic quantum automata as a model of quaternionic quantum computation. Quaternionic quantum automata also can be seen as an extension of complex quantum automata. Then we introduce some operations of quaternionic quantum automata and establish some of their basic properties.

Preface to the Special Issue on “Quantum Computing Algorithms and Computational Complexity”

In 1982, Richard Feynman stated that in order to simulate quantum systems, we would rather go for a sort of brand-new powered quantum processor instead of a classical one [...]

Optimal discrimination between real and complex quantum theories

We find the minimal number of settings to test quantum theory based on real numbers, assuming separability of the sources, modifying the recent proposal [M.-O. Renou et al., Nature 600, 625 (2021)]. The test needs only three settings for observers $A$ and $C$, but the ratio of complex to real maximum is smaller than in the existing proposal. We also found that two settings and two outcomes for both observes are insufficient.

Aspects of entropy in classical and in quantum physics

Entropy has played an essential role in the history of physics. Its mathematical definition and applications have changed over time till today. In this paper, we first review the historical evolution of these various points of view, from the thermodynamic definition to information entropy from Shannon in classical physics, up to the modern concept of Neumann’s quantum entropy. As a specific example, we consider entanglement entropy and compare the phase space approach in classical physics to the Hilbert space approach in quantum physics in simple model systems. We derive a general expression for the entanglement entropy of fermions and bosons in arbitrary partitions of Hilbert space, valid beyond the thermodynamic limit. Next, we compare thermodynamic heat engines with quantum heat engines. Finally, we proceed to the more general concept of quantum (computational) complexity and argue, using the concept of entanglement entropy, that the Heisenberg time in classically chaotic systems coincides with the time when maximal complexity is reached in the quantum case for systems with all–all interactions.

The Connes embedding problem: A guided tour

The Connes embedding problem (CEP) is a problem in the theory of tracial von Neumann algebras and asks whether or not every tracial von Neumann algebra embeds into an ultrapower of the hyperfinite II 1 _1 factor. The CEP has had interactions with a wide variety of areas of mathematics, including C ∗ \mathrm {C}^* -algebra theory, geometric group theory, free probability, and noncommutative real algebraic geometry, to name a few. After remaining open for over 40 years, a negative solution was recently obtained as a corollary of a landmark result in quantum complexity theory known as MIP ∗ = RE \operatorname {MIP}^*=\operatorname {RE} . In these notes, we introduce all of the background material necessary to understand the proof of the negative solution of the CEP from MIP ∗ = RE \operatorname {MIP}^*=\operatorname {RE} . In fact, we outline two such proofs, one following the “traditional” route that goes via Kirchberg’s QWEP problem in C ∗ \mathrm {C}^* -algebra theory and Tsirelson’s problem in quantum information theory and a second that uses basic ideas from logic.

Toward the nonequilibrium thermodynamic analog of complexity and the Jarzynski identity

The Jarzynski identity can describe small-scale nonequilibrium systems through stochastic thermodynamics. The identity considers fluctuating trajectories in a phase space. The complexity geometry frames the discussions on quantum computational complexity using the method of Riemannian geometry, which builds a bridge between optimal quantum circuits and classical geodesics in the space of unitary operators. Complexity geometry enables the application of the methods of classical physics to deal with pure quantum problems. By combining the two frameworks, i.e., the Jarzynski identity and complexity geometry, we derived a complexity analog of the Jarzynski identity using the complexity geometry. We considered a set of geodesics in the space of unitary operators instead of the trajectories in a phase space. The obtained complexity version of the Jarzynski identity strengthened the evidence for the existence of a well-defined resource theory of uncomplexity and presented an extensive discussion on the second law of complexity. Furthermore, analogous to the thermodynamic fluctuation-dissipation theorem, we proposed a version of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem for the complexity. Although this study does not focus on holographic fluctuations, we found that the results are surprisingly suitable for capturing their information. The results obtained using nonequilibrium methods may contribute to understand the nature of the complexity and study the features of the holographic fluctuations.

Quantum computational complexity from quantum information to black holes and back

Quantum computational complexity estimates the difficulty of constructing quantum states from elementary operations, a problem of prime importance for quantum computation. Surprisingly, this quantity can also serve to study a completely different physical problem – that of information processing inside black holes. Quantum computational complexity was suggested as a new entry in the holographic dictionary, which extends the connection between geometry and information and resolves the puzzle of why black hole interiors keep growing for a very long time. In this pedagogical review, we present the geometric approach to complexity advocated by Nielsen and show how it can be used to define complexity for generic quantum systems; in particular, we focus on Gaussian states in QFT, both pure and mixed, and on certain classes of CFT states. We then present the conjectured relation to gravitational quantities within the holographic correspondence and discuss several examples in which different versions of the conjectures have been tested. We highlight the relation between complexity, chaos and scrambling in chaotic systems. We conclude with a discussion of open problems and future directions. This article was written for the special issue of EPJ-C Frontiers in Holographic Duality.

Self-testing of a single quantum device under computational assumptions

Self-testing is a method to characterise an arbitrary quantum system based only on its classical input-output correlations, and plays an important role in device-independent quantum information processing as well as quantum complexity theory. Prior works on self-testing require the assumption that the system's state is shared among multiple parties that only perform local measurements and cannot communicate. Here, we replace the setting of multiple non-communicating parties, which is difficult to enforce in practice, by a single computationally bounded party. Specifically, we construct a protocol that allows a classical verifier to robustly certify that a single computationally bounded quantum device must have prepared a Bell pair and performed single-qubit measurements on it, up to a change of basis applied to both the device's state and measurements. This means that under computational assumptions, the verifier is able to certify the presence of entanglement, a property usually closely associated with two separated subsystems, inside a single quantum device. To achieve this, we build on techniques first introduced by Brakerski et al. (2018) and Mahadev (2018) which allow a classical verifier to constrain the actions of a quantum device assuming the device does not break post-quantum cryptography.

Quantum sampling algorithms, phase transitions, and computational complexity

Drawing independent samples from a probability distribution is an important computational problem with applications in Monte Carlo algorithms, machine learning, and statistical physics. The problem can in principle be solved on a quantum computer by preparing a quantum state that encodes the entire probability distribution followed by a projective measurement. We investigate the complexity of adiabatically preparing such quantum states for the Gibbs distributions of various classical models including the Ising chain, hard-sphere models on different graphs, and a model encoding the unstructured search problem. By constructing a parent Hamiltonian, whose ground state is the desired quantum state, we relate the asymptotic scaling of the state preparation time to the nature of transitions between distinct quantum phases. These insights enable us to identify adiabatic paths that achieve a quantum speedup over classical Markov chain algorithms. In addition, we show that parent Hamiltonians for the problem of sampling from independent sets on certain graphs can be naturally realized with neutral atoms interacting via highly excited Rydberg states.

Weighting gates in circuit complexity and holography

Abstract Motivated by recent studies of quantum computational complexity in quantum field theory and holography, we discuss how weighting certain classes of gates building up a quantum circuit more heavily than others affects the complexity. Utilizing Nielsen’s geometric approach to circuit complexity, we investigate the effects for a regulated field theory for which the optimal circuit is a representation of $GL(N,\mathbb{R})$. More precisely, we work out how a uniformly chosen weighting factor acting on the entangling gates affects the complexity and, particularly, its divergent behavior. We show that assigning a higher cost to the entangling gates increases the complexity. Employing penalized and unpenalized complexities for the $\mathcal{F}_{\kappa=2}$ cost, we further find an interesting relation between the latter and that based on the unpenalized $\mathcal{F}_{\kappa=1}$ cost. In addition, we exhibit how imposing such penalties modifies the leading-order UV divergence in the complexity. We show that appropriately tuning the gate weighting eliminates the additional logarithmic factor, thus resulting in a simple power-law scaling. We also compare the circuit complexity with holographic predictions, specifically based on the complexity=action conjecture, and relate the weighting factor to certain bulk quantities. Finally, we comment on certain expectations concerning the role of gate penalties in defining complexity in field theory and also speculate on possible implications for holography.

Microstate distinguishability, quantum complexity, and the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis

In this work, we use quantum complexity theory to quantify the difficulty of distinguishing eigenstates obeying the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH). After identifying simple operators with an algebra of low-energy observables and tracing out the complementary high-energy Hilbert space, the ETH leads to an exponential suppression of trace distance between the coarse-grained eigenstates. Conversely, we show that an exponential hardness of distinguishing between states implies ETH-like matrix elements. The BBBV lower bound on the query complexity of Grover search then translates directly into a complexity-theoretic statement lower bounding the hardness of distinguishing these reduced states.

Special Issue “Quantum computation complexity theory and quantum network theory” (Preface)

Special Issue “Quantum computation complexity theory and quantum network theory” (Preface)