On the Simulation Cost of Quantum Finite Automata

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Chen, Zeyu, Wu, Junde
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Chen, Zeyu
Wu, Junde
author_facet Chen, Zeyu
Wu, Junde
contents This paper identifies exact probabilistic simulation cost as the natural quantitative measure of quantum advantage for finite automata under strict cutpoints. It gives sharp simulation laws for two representative models. A one-way finite automaton with $c$ classical states and a $q$-dimensional quantum register has exact probabilistic simulation cost $Θ(cq^2)$, while an $n$-dimensional measure-once one-way quantum finite automaton has worst-case cost $Θ(n^2)$. The proofs develop a prepare--test framework, in which prefixes generate the relevant real operator degrees of freedom and suffixes convert them into strict-cutpoint tests. The same obstruction is recast through finite sign-rank matrices, clarifying the role of Forster's spectral method. Placed beside the surrounding two-way separations, these results give a clean hierarchy of finite-automata quantum advantage.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_10682
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the Simulation Cost of Quantum Finite Automata
Chen, Zeyu
Wu, Junde
Quantum Physics
Formal Languages and Automata Theory
This paper identifies exact probabilistic simulation cost as the natural quantitative measure of quantum advantage for finite automata under strict cutpoints. It gives sharp simulation laws for two representative models. A one-way finite automaton with $c$ classical states and a $q$-dimensional quantum register has exact probabilistic simulation cost $Θ(cq^2)$, while an $n$-dimensional measure-once one-way quantum finite automaton has worst-case cost $Θ(n^2)$. The proofs develop a prepare--test framework, in which prefixes generate the relevant real operator degrees of freedom and suffixes convert them into strict-cutpoint tests. The same obstruction is recast through finite sign-rank matrices, clarifying the role of Forster's spectral method. Placed beside the surrounding two-way separations, these results give a clean hierarchy of finite-automata quantum advantage.
title On the Simulation Cost of Quantum Finite Automata
topic Quantum Physics
Formal Languages and Automata Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.10682