Quantum Concepts Research Articles

A novel network intrusion detection method based on metaheuristic optimisation algorithms

The growing use of the Internet with its vulnerabilities has necessitated the adoption of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to assure security. IDSs are protective systems that detect outsider infiltrations, unauthorised accesses and malfunctions occurring in computer networks. Intrusions can be detected and reported to the network administrator by IDSs using various pieces of information such as port scanning and irregular traffic detection. Intrusion detection is a classification problem, and identifying effective features is an essential aspect of classification methods. Standard methods used for classification are neural networks, fuzzy logic, data mining techniques and metaheuristics. One of the novel metaheuristic algorithms introduced to address optimisation problems is the Horse herd Optimisation Algorithm (HOA). This paper introduces a new approach on the basis of HOA for network intrusion detection. The new method uses horse behaviours in the herd to select effective features to detect intrusions and interactions between features. For the purpose of the new approach, HOA is first updated into a discrete algorithm using the floor function. The binarised algorithm is then converted into a quantum-inspired optimiser by integrating the concepts of quantum computing with HOA to improve the social behaviours of the horses in the herd. In quantum computing, Q-bit and Q-gate aid in striking a greater balance between the exploration and exploitation processes. The resulting algorithm is then converted into a multi-objective algorithm, where the objectives can be chosen from a set of optimal solutions. The new algorithm, MQBHOA, is then used for intrusion detection in computer networks, which is a multi-objective optimisation problem. For the classification, the K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN) classifier is applied. To evaluate the new algorithm’s performance, two data sets, NSL-KDD (Network Security Laboratory—Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining) and CSE-CIC-IDS2018, are employed in which the network packets are classified into five categories: normal packets plus four intrusions packet types of Denial of Service (DoS), User to Root (U2R), Remote to Local (R2L) and Probing (Prob). The new algorithm’s performance was evaluated and compared with other well-known metaheuristic algorithms, and the influence of the parameters of the algorithm on the degree of intrusion was investigated. The results show a 6% more success rate in the average size of feature selection and the accuracy of classification in comparison with other evaluated algorithms. It also demonstrates an accuracy of 99.8% in detecting network intrusions compared to other methods.

Implementation and goals of quantum optics experiments in undergraduate instructional labs

As quantum information science and technology (QIST) is becoming more prevalent and occurring not only in research labs but also in industry, many educators are considering how best to incorporate learning about quantum mechanics into various levels of education. Although much of the focus has been on quantum concepts in non-lab courses, current work in QIST has a substantial experimental component. Many instructors of undergraduate lab courses want to provide their students the opportunity to work with quantum experiments. One common way this is done is through a sequence of quantum optics experiments often referred to as the ``single-photon experiments.'' These experiments demonstrate fundamental quantum phenomena with equipment common to research labs; however, they are resource intensive and cannot be afforded by all institutions. It is therefore imperative to know what unique affordances these experiments provide to students. As a starting point, we surveyed and interviewed instructors who use the single-photon experiments in undergraduate courses, asking how and why they use the experiments. We describe the most commonly used experiments in both quantum and beyond-first-year lab courses, the prevalence of actions the students perform, and the learning goals, ranging from conceptual knowledge to lab skills to student affect. Finally, we present some strategies from these data demonstrating how instructors have addressed the common challenges of preparing students to work with conceptually and technically complex experiments and balancing the practice of technical skills with the completion of the experiments.

Ternary Unitary Quantum Lattice Models and Circuits in 2+1 Dimensions.

We extend the concept of dual unitary quantum gates introduced in Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 210601 (2019)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.123.210601 to quantum lattice models in 2+1 dimensions, by introducing and studying ternary unitary four-particle gates, which are unitary in time and both spatial dimensions. When used as building blocks of lattice models with periodic boundary conditions in time and space (corresponding to infinite temperature states), dynamical correlation functions exhibit a light ray structure. We also generalize solvable matrix product states introduced in Phys. Rev. B 101, 094304 (2020)PRBMDO2469-995010.1103/PhysRevB.101.094304 to two spatial dimensions with cylindrical boundary conditions, by showing that the analogous solvable projected entangled pair states can be identified with matrix product unitaries. In the resulting tensor network for evaluating equal-time correlation functions, the bulk ternary unitary gates cancel out. We delineate and implement a numerical algorithm for computing such correlations by contracting the remaining tensors.

Exploring the Quantum Nature of Human Cognition: Integrating Quantum Cognitive Science and Advanced Cognitive Assessment through the Verbovisual Cognitive Function Screening Tool (VCFST)

The Verbovisual Cognitive Function Screening Tool (VCFST) is a cognitive screening tool that aims to evaluate cognitive abilities by drawing upon established theories such as dual-coding theory, common coding theory, propositional theory, and ideomotor theory. However, recent developments in quantum cognitive science offer promising applications to enhance the assessment model. This article explores the utilization of quantum cognition concepts within the VCFST and discusses its implications for cognitive assessment. Quantum cognitive science is an emerging interdisciplinary field that applies principles from quantum physics to the study of human cognition. It suggests that cognitive processes may not adhere strictly to classical logic and linear thinking but can exhibit characteristics of quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, and contextuality. By incorporating quantum concepts into cognitive assessment, a more nuanced understanding of complex cognitive processes can be achieved.The VCFST, with its focus on verbovisual factors and comprehensive assessment of cognitive domains, can benefit from the integration of quantum cognitive science principles. Superposition, borrowed from quantum physics, implies that individuals can simultaneously perceive and attend to multiple stimuli. By considering the superposition of verbovisual stimuli within the VCFST, a more accurate representation of cognitive abilities can be obtained, capturing the simultaneous processing of different types of information. Entanglement, another key principle of quantum cognition, can be applied to evaluate the interconnectedness of cognitive domains within the VCFST. Analogous to entangled particles, changes in one cognitive domain may influence others. By assessing the impact of changes in one domain on performance in other domains, the VCFST can provide a holistic understanding of cognitive functioning. Contextuality, a fundamental concept in quantum cognition, emphasizes the role of context in shaping cognitive processes. By incorporating contextuality into the VCFST, contextual cues can be introduced, and stimulus presentation can be varied to reflect real-world cognitive demands. This approach enables a more ecologically valid measure of cognitive abilities, considering the influence of context on cognitive processing. Embracing quantum cognitive science principles in the VCFST offers several advantages, including capturing the complexity of cognitive processes, accounting for non-linear dynamics, and exploring potential quantum-like effects within human cognition. Future research can further refine the VCFST by conducting quantitative studies to assess the efficacy of incorporating quantum concepts into cognitive assessment and developing computational models inspired by quantum cognitive science.The utilization of quantum cognitive science concepts within the VCFST shows promise for advancing cognitive assessment practices. By incorporating principles such as superposition, entanglement, and contextuality, the VCFST can provide a comprehensive and nuanced evaluation of cognitive abilities. Further research in quantum cognitive science and the refinement of assessment methodologies can contribute to the development of more advanced and accurate cognitive assessment tools, facilitating personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cognitive disorders and neurodegenerative conditions. The integration of quantum cognitive science into cognitive assessment represents an exciting frontier that can revolutionize our understanding of human cognition.

An experiential program on the foundations of quantum mechanics for final-year high-school students

Teaching and learning quantum mechanics is one of the most demanding educational and conceptual challenges, in particular in secondary schools where students do not possess an adequate mathematical background to effectively support the description of quantum behaviour. Educational research shows that traditional approaches, generally based on historical and narrative perspectives, are only partially effective. The reason is that they do not address in depth those basic quantum concepts that radically question the fundamentals of classical physics. A research-based educational program has been proposed to two final-year classes of an Italian scientific high school. In order to build the main concepts of quantum mechanics and their formal basic representation via real and simulated experiments, the program uses the light polarization as a context. A quantum game was then integrated in the educational program, to support students’ learning. Their conceptual paths, monitored by means of tutorials and questionnaires, show significant student learning especially on the concept of state and on appropriating the formalism meaning, whereas students more frequently referred to the geometrical vector representation instead of the algebraic-analytic formula. The quantum game has emerged to support intuition and operative experience in distinguishing the foundational concepts of superposition and entanglement.

The Electronic Structure of the Atom: (Mis)Interpretations of Quantum Concepts by Brazilian University Chemistry Students

Students’ understanding of the electronic structure of the atom has been investigated by many authors. This study outlines students’ conceptual and representational understanding of quantum concepts explored in lower and upper level chemistry courses, in three different chemistry majors, identifying learning obstacles and monitoring student development. Structured questionnaires were applied at the beginning and end of the semester, aiming to assess student learning related to the interpretation of the electronic structure of the atom through quantum chemistry concepts. Students in upper-level courses achieved better averages than students in lower-level courses. Generally, students showed better understanding of the topics through a representational rather than a conceptual approach. The number of students able to conceive a mental model of the atom based on quantum concepts increased by the end of the semester. However, the number of students who imagined the atom according to the Bohr model, invoking both classical and quantum ideas, remained the same, suggesting no meaningful learning occurred.

QUANTUM MODELS IN BIOLOGY

The penetration of quantum concepts into biological science, which began shortly after the creation of quantum mechanics, over the past two decades has taken shape in a new interdisciplinary scientific discipline quantum biology. One of the key questions of quantum biology has been formulated as follows: are there biological systems that use quantum effects to perform a task that cannot be done classically? More broadly, do some kinds of organisms adapt efficient quantum mechanisms in the process of their evolutionary development in order to gain an advantage over their competitors? The range of topical problems of the new discipline discussed in this brief review includes questions of a general, historical and methodological character, and generalizes some theoretical models aimed at describing quantum processes, including bacterialphotosynthesis, bird magnetoreception, and the mechanism of olfactory sense in living organisms.

ON THE FEATURES OF THE FUNCTIONING OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE CONTEXT OF QUANTUM INFORMATION

The article deals with the relationship of ideas about the quantum-physical foundations of the functioning of consciousness with quantum computer science. The fundamental question of the nature of consciousness as a unique phenomenon characterized by self-development, adaptive functions, nonlinearity and openness remains debatable. Modern research on the so-called “quantum concept of consciousness” opens up the prospect for subsequent discoveries of new, unsolved patterns. At the junction of quantum mechanics, psychophysics and neurobiology, an interdisciplinary field of knowledge is now being formed and dynamically developing. The comprehension of the methods and formalisms developed within its framework in application to the ontological aspect of the essential nature of consciousness is chosen as the subject of research in this work. The universal laws of quantum mechanics, the concepts of quantum entanglement and the nonlocality of the wave function are important tools for understanding the role of the observer's consciousness at the quantum-molecular level (nanoscale) of consciousness functioning. The article shows that the principles of quantum data processing have a certain superiority over traditional methods of information processing and can become a significant analogue in the development of the quantum concept of consciousness. The characteristic processes of the “work” of consciousness are revealed, which cannot be comprehended without reference to entropic processes and quantum jumps at bifurcation points, entailing stochastic choice, i.e. information generation. The hypothesis of the quantum concept of consciousness is considered in relation to the macroscopic nature of consciousness, its synergetic complexity. The main conclusion is connected with the idea that the modern understanding of consciousness is undergoing many changes due to the widespread introduction of new knowledge in the field of computer science, quantum physics, and neuroscience.

Quantum Creativity and Cognition in Humans and Robots

In this research, we present a categorical framework to connect research on creativity and cognition for humans and robots, in light of the quantum paradigm. These fields and their relationships suggest a wider vision: modeling human creativity/cognition through quantum computing, and creating robots that can help us learn more about the humans themselves. We represent the human–robot comparison through functors (function generalization). Fundamental elements to understand human creativity are motivation and feedback as aesthetic pleasure. Is it possible to model it? Can the quantum paradigm help us in such an endeavor? We envisage the concept of emergence and quantum computing as decisive keys for creativity. Investigation of robotic models, including swarms of robots, might help shed new light on human creative interactions.

Contextuality degree of quadrics in multi-qubit symplectic polar spaces

Quantum contextuality takes an important place amongst the concepts of quantum computing that bring an advantage over its classical counterpart. For a large class of contextuality proofs, aka. observable-based proofs of the Kochen-Specker Theorem, we formulate the contextuality property as the absence of solutions to a linear system and define for a contextual configuration its degree of contextuality. Then we explain why subgeometries of binary symplectic polar spaces are candidates for contextuality proofs. We report the results of a software that generates these subgeometries, decides their contextuality and computes their contextuality degree for some small symplectic polar spaces. We show that quadrics in the symplectic polar space W n are contextual for . The proofs we consider involve more contexts and observables than the smallest known proofs. This intermediate size property of those proofs is interesting for experimental tests, but could also be interesting in quantum game theory.

Thermal and Quantum Fluctuation Effects on Non-Spherical Nuclei: The Case of Spin-1 System

In this work, we investigate the collective role of thermal and quantum fluctuations on non-equilibrium thermodynamics of a quantum system, specifically, the quantum-thermodynamic description of spin-1 nuclei based on the concepts of quantum and statistical mechanics. We explore the dynamical response of the system when driven out of equilibrium by a work parameter and compute analytically the full distribution of the work generated by the process. Considering work performed on the system as a random variable, we collect data for a large number of repeated cyclic processes of finite time. These data of finite time non-equilibrium processes will permit us to derive equilibrium values in quantities such as the free energy difference between the final and initial states of the system. Various properties of the system’s work distribution are explored.

Preparing Precollege Students for the Second Quantum Revolution with Core Concepts in Quantum Information Science

After the passage of the U.S. National Quantum Initiative Act in December 2018, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently assembled an interagency working group and conducted a workshop titled “Key Concepts for Future Quantum Information Science Learners” that focused on identifying core concepts for future curricular and educator activities to help precollege students engage with quantum information science (QIS). Helping precollege students learn these key concepts in QIS is an effective approach to introducing them to the second quantum revolution and inspiring them to become future contributors in the growing field of quantum information science and technology as leaders in areas related to quantum computing, communication, and sensing. This paper is a call to precollege educators to contemplate including QIS concepts into their existing courses at appropriate levels and get involved in the development of curricular materials suitable for their students. Also, research shows that compare-and-contrast activities can provide an effective approach to helping students learn. Therefore, we illustrate a pedagogical approach that contrasts the classical and quantum concepts so that educators can adapt them for their students in their lesson plans to help them learn the differences between key concepts in quantum and classical contexts.

Development of a Survey to Assess Conceptual Understanding of Quantum Mechanics among Moroccan Undergraduates

<p style="text-align:justify">We developed a Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Understanding Survey (QMCUS) in this study. The survey was conducted using a quantitative methodology. A multiple-choice survey of 35 questions was administered to 338 undergraduate students. Three experienced quantum mechanics instructors examined the validity of the survey. The reliability of our survey was measured using Cronbach's alpha, the Fergusson delta index, the discrimination index, and the point biserial correlation coefficient. These indices showed that the developed survey is reliable. The statistical analysis of the students' results using SPSS shows that the scores obtained by the students have a normal distribution, around the score of 7.14. The results of the t-test show that the students' scores are below the required threshold, which means that it is still difficult for the students to understand the concepts of quantum mechanics. The obtained results allow us to draw some conclusions. The students' difficulties in understanding the quantum concepts are due to the nature of these concepts; they are abstract and counterintuitive. In addition, the learners did not have frequent contact with the subatomic world, which led them to adopt misconceptions. Moreover, students find it difficult to imagine and conceptualize quantum concepts. Therefore, subatomic phenomena are still explained with classical paradigms. Another difficulty is the lack of prerequisites and the difficulties in using the mathematical formalism and its translation into Dirac notation.</p>

A novel resilent round robin algorithm based CPU scheduling for efficient CPU utlilization

The central processing unit (CPU) is one of the most important resources of any computer system. Effective scheduling of CPUs across multiple processes is the primary function of any typical operating system to improve the overall performance of the system. An important design characteristic of an operating system is the type of scheduling algorithm it uses and supports. The main function of any scheduling algorithm is to select a process from the ready queue and allocate processor time to each process. The round robin (RR) algorithm is one of the most widely used CPU scheduling algorithms in time-sharing systems. The round robin algorithm is based on the concept of time quantum (TQ); this means that each process is given a certain amount of time to run by the CPU, after which the CPU goes to subsequent processes in the ready queue. The proposed Novel Resilient Round Robin (NRRR) algorithm uses a dynamic TQ whose value is calculated using one of the statistical measures proposed in the paper. The proposed algorithm is robust and resilient, in the sense that it schedules the execution of the process in a balanced way, where an improvement in one scheduling criterion does not lead to great degradation in another, but continuously maintains a balance between them. The proposed algorithm significantly reduces the average wait time (AWT), the average turnaround time (ATT), the number of context switches (NCS) and enhances CPU utilisation criterions. The proposed algorithm uses the CPU more efficiently and ultimately improves overall system performance.

Key Experiment and Quantum Reasoning

For around five decades, physicists have been experimenting with single quanta such as single photons. Insofar as the practised ensemble reasoning has become obsolete for the interpretation of these experiments, the non-classical intrinsic probabilistic nature of quantum theory has gained increased importance. One of the most important exclusive features of quantum physics is the undeniable existence of the superposition of states, even for single quantum objects. One known example of this effect is entanglement. In this paper, two classically contradictory phenomena are combined to one single experiment. This experiment incontestably shows that a single photon incident on an optical beam splitter can either be reflected or transmitted. The almost complete absence of coincident clicks of two photodetectors demonstrates that these two output states are incompatible. However, when combining these states using two mirrors, we can observe interference patterns in the counting rate of the single photon detector. The only explanation for this is that the two incompatible output states are prepared and kept simultaneously—a typical consequence of a quantum superposition of states. (Semi-)classical physical concepts fail here, and a full quantum concept is predestined to explain the complementary experimental outcomes for the quantum optical “non-waves” called single photons. In this paper, we intend to demonstrate that a true quantum physical key experiment (“true” in the sense that it cannot be explained by any classical physical concept), when combined with full quantum reasoning (probability, superposition and interference), influences students’ readiness to use quantum elements for interpretation.

Assessing Engineering Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Introductory Quantum Optics

Quantum technologies have outgrown mere fundamental research in laboratories over recent years, and will facilitate more and more potentially disruptive applications in a wide range of fields in the future. In foresight, qualification opportunities need to be implemented in order to train qualified specialists, referred to as the future quantum workforce, in various fields. Universities world-wide have launched qualification programmes for engineers focusing on quantum optics and photonics. In many of these programmes, students attend courses on quantum physics contextualized via quantum optics experiments with heralded photons, because: (1) their experimental and physical foundations may be directly leveraged to teaching a number of quantum technology applications, and (2) physics education research has provided empirical evidence, according to which such quantum optics-based approaches are conducive to learning about quantum concepts. While many teachers are confident about the effectiveness of their concepts, there is little empirical evidence due to the lack of content-area-specific research tools. We present a 16-item concept inventory to assess students’ conceptual understanding of quantum optics concepts in the context of experiments with heralded photons adopted from a test instrument published in the literature. We have administered this Quantum Optics Concept Inventory as a post-test to N=216 students after instruction on quantum optics as part of an undergraduate engineering course. We evaluated the instruments’ psychometric quality, both in terms of classical test theory, and using a Rasch scaling approach. The Quantum Optics Concept Inventory enables a reliable measure (α=0.74), and the data gathered show a good fit to the Rasch model. The students’ scores suggest that fundamental quantum effects pose striking learning hurdles to the engineering students. In contrast, most of the students are able to cope with the experimental and technical foundations of quantum optics experiments with heralded photons and their underlying principles, such as the coincidence technique used for the preparation of single-photon states. These findings are in accordance with prior research, and hence, the Quantum Optics Concept Inventory may serve as a fruitful starting point for future empirical research with regard to the education of the future quantum workforce.

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.

From Policy Relevance to Present Relevance: Entanglement, Scholarly Responsibility, and the Ethics of Quantum Social Theory

AbstractDebates about the role of international relations (IR) scholarship in contemporary politics historically privilege “policy relevance” as both a goal and site of debate. The role of scholarship, scholars, and scholarly collectives has become increasingly resonant given the overlapping crises of white supremacy, police violence, and state repression in the United States, the worldwide pandemic, and the antidemocratic nationalist politics throughout Europe and the United States. Critical IR and critical security studies typically resist policy engagement entirely, positioning critical thought and inquiry as political intervention in and of itself. Here, I explore that claim using quantum concepts that foreground the inextricability of entanglement in thinking politics, ethics, and action. Ultimately, I argue that IR should move toward engaging and being responsible to the/a political present. Drawing on the temporality in IR literature, I argue that we are always already entangled with a heterotemporal present. Framing the question of political relevance as a binary of for/against precludes an effective assessment of the politics and normative meaning of scholarly interventions into contemporary politics. By reformulating our understanding of scholarship as produced by and reproducing a political present, something with which we are inevitably entangled whether we choose to be or not, the question of relevance becomes reoriented toward scholarly relationships with a/many presents, and consequently, a/many pasts and futures. Negotiating this dynamic is a more complex question than the narrow formulation of policy and/or political recommendations, and requires a fundamental rethinking of the presumption that scholarship in and of itself is sufficient.

Applications of a q-Differential Operator to a Class of Harmonic Mappings Defined by q-Mittag–Leffler Functions

Many diverse subclasses of analytic functions, q-starlike functions, and symmetric q-starlike functions have been studied and analyzed by using q-analogous values of integral and derivative operators. In this paper, we define a q-analogous value of differential operators for harmonic functions with the help of basic concepts of quantum (q-) calculus operator theory; and introduce a new subclass of harmonic functions associated with the Janowski and q-Mittag–Leffler functions. We obtain several useful properties of the new class, such as necessary and sufficient conditions, criteria for analyticity, compactness, convexity, extreme points, radii of starlikeness, radii of convexity, distortion bounds, and integral mean inequality. Furthermore, we discuss some applications of this study in the form of some results and examples and highlight some known corollaries for verifying our main results presented in this investigation. Finally, the conclusion section summarizes the fact about the (p,q)-variations.

Quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization based on solitons

This paper introduces a novel variant of the quantum particle swarm optimization algorithm based on the quantum concept of particle-like solitons as the most common solutions of the quantum nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Soliton adaptation in external potentials is one of their most remarkable features which allows them to be stabilized even without a trapping potential, while the potential must be bounded for quantum particles to be localized. So we consider the motion scenario of the present algorithm based on the corresponding probability density function of quantum solitons. To evaluate the efficiency, we examine the proposed algorithm over a set of known benchmark functions, including a selection of test functions with different modalities and dimensions. Moreover, to achieve a more comprehensive conclusion about the performance, we compare it with the results obtained by particle swarm optimization (PSO), standard quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization QPSO, improved sine cosine Algorithm (ISCA), and JAYA optimization algorithm. The numerical experiments reveal that the proposed algorithm is an effective approach to solving optimization problems that provides promising results in terms of better global search capability, high accuracy, and faster convergence rate.