Solving quadratic binary optimization problems using quantum SDP methods: Non-asymptotic running time analysis

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Henze, Fabian, Tran, Viet, Ostermann, Birte, Kueng, Richard, de Wolff, Timo, Gross, David
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Henze, Fabian
Tran, Viet
Ostermann, Birte
Kueng, Richard
de Wolff, Timo
Gross, David
author_facet Henze, Fabian
Tran, Viet
Ostermann, Birte
Kueng, Richard
de Wolff, Timo
Gross, David
contents Quantum computers can solve semidefinite programs (SDPs) using resources that scale better than state-of-the-art classical methods as a function of the problem dimension. At the same time, the known quantum algorithms scale very unfavorably in the precision, which makes it non-trivial to find applications for which the quantum methods are well-suited. Arguably, precision is less crucial for SDP relaxations of combinatorial optimization problems (such as the Goemans-Williamson algorithm), because these include a final rounding step that maps SDP solutions to binary variables. With this in mind, Brandão, França, and Kueng have proposed to use quantum SDP solvers in order to achieve an end-to-end speed-up for obtaining approximate solutions to combinatorial optimization problems. They did indeed succeed in identifying an algorithm that realizes a polynomial quantum advantage in terms of its asymptotic running time. However, asymptotic results say little about the problem sizes for which advantages manifest. Here, we present an analysis of the non-asymptotic resource requirements of this algorithm. The work consists of two parts. First, we optimize the original algorithm with a particular emphasis on performance for realistic problem instances. In particular, we formulate a version with adaptive step-sizes, an improved detection criterion for infeasible instances, and a more efficient rounding procedure. In a second step, we benchmark both the classical and the quantum version of the algorithm. The benchmarks did not identify a regime where even the optimized quantum algorithm would beat standard classical approaches for input sizes that can be realistically solved at all. In the absence of further significant improvements, these algorithms therefore fall into a category sometimes called galactic: Unbeaten in their asymptotic scaling behavior, but not practical for realistic problems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_15426
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Solving quadratic binary optimization problems using quantum SDP methods: Non-asymptotic running time analysis
Henze, Fabian
Tran, Viet
Ostermann, Birte
Kueng, Richard
de Wolff, Timo
Gross, David
Quantum Physics
Optimization and Control
Quantum computers can solve semidefinite programs (SDPs) using resources that scale better than state-of-the-art classical methods as a function of the problem dimension. At the same time, the known quantum algorithms scale very unfavorably in the precision, which makes it non-trivial to find applications for which the quantum methods are well-suited. Arguably, precision is less crucial for SDP relaxations of combinatorial optimization problems (such as the Goemans-Williamson algorithm), because these include a final rounding step that maps SDP solutions to binary variables. With this in mind, Brandão, França, and Kueng have proposed to use quantum SDP solvers in order to achieve an end-to-end speed-up for obtaining approximate solutions to combinatorial optimization problems. They did indeed succeed in identifying an algorithm that realizes a polynomial quantum advantage in terms of its asymptotic running time. However, asymptotic results say little about the problem sizes for which advantages manifest. Here, we present an analysis of the non-asymptotic resource requirements of this algorithm. The work consists of two parts. First, we optimize the original algorithm with a particular emphasis on performance for realistic problem instances. In particular, we formulate a version with adaptive step-sizes, an improved detection criterion for infeasible instances, and a more efficient rounding procedure. In a second step, we benchmark both the classical and the quantum version of the algorithm. The benchmarks did not identify a regime where even the optimized quantum algorithm would beat standard classical approaches for input sizes that can be realistically solved at all. In the absence of further significant improvements, these algorithms therefore fall into a category sometimes called galactic: Unbeaten in their asymptotic scaling behavior, but not practical for realistic problems.
title Solving quadratic binary optimization problems using quantum SDP methods: Non-asymptotic running time analysis
topic Quantum Physics
Optimization and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.15426