Questions tagged [annealing]

It is a metaheuristic for finding the global minimum of a given objective function over a given set of candidate solutions (candidate states), by a process using quantum fluctuations. (Wikipedia)

96 questions
50
votes
2 answers

Is there proof that the D-wave (one) is a quantum computer and is effective?

I'm admittedly a novice in this field, but I have read that, while the D-wave (one) is an interesting device, there is some skepticism regarding it being 1) useful and 2) actually a 'quantum computer'. For example, Scott Aaronson has expressed…
31
votes
1 answer

What precisely is quantum annealing?

Many people are interested in the subject of quantum annealing, as an application of quantum technologies, not least because of D-WAVE's work on the subject. The Wikipedia article on quantum annealing implies that if one performs the 'annealing'…
Niel de Beaudrap
  • 12,522
  • 1
  • 33
  • 73
30
votes
2 answers

What is the difference between quantum annealing and adiabatic quantum computation models?

From what I understood, there seems to be a difference between quantum annealing and adiabatic quantum computation models but the only thing I found on this subject implies some strange results (see below). My question is the following: what is…
Adrien Suau
  • 5,172
  • 22
  • 58
27
votes
4 answers

Why is it crucial that the initial Hamiltonian does not commute with the final Hamiltonian in adiabatic quantum computation?

I've read in many sources and books on adiabatic quantum computation (AQC) that it is crucial for the initial Hamiltonian $\hat{H}_i$ to not commute with the final Hamiltonian $\hat{H}_f$, i.e. $\left[\hat{H}_i,\hat{H}_f\right]\neq 0$. But I've…
Turbotanten
  • 606
  • 4
  • 15
26
votes
2 answers

Why can't quantum annealing be described by a gate model?

This is a question I was inspired to ask based on this question, which notes that quantum annealing is an entirely different model for computation than the usual circuit model. I've heard this before, and it's my understanding that the gate-model…
Emily Tyhurst
  • 1,127
  • 10
  • 16
21
votes
2 answers

Did D-Wave show quantum advantage in 2023?

I would like to know your thoughts on whether or not D-Wave has shown a a smoking-gun example of quantum advantage this year. I am genuinely not quite sure what to think, but I believe the answer to this question is important in understanding the…
21
votes
1 answer

Level of advantage provided by annealing for traveling salesman

My understanding is that there seems to be some confidence that quantum annealing will provide a speedup for problems like the traveling salesman, due to the efficiency provided by, ex, quantum tunneling. Do we know, however, around how much of a…
auden
  • 3,489
  • 1
  • 21
  • 50
18
votes
2 answers

How long does quantum annealing take to find the solution to a given problem?

Quantum annealing is an optimization protocol that, thanks to quantum tunneling, allows in given circumstances to maximize/minimize a given function more efficiently than classical optimization algorithms. A crucial point of quantum annealing is the…
glS
  • 27,510
  • 7
  • 37
  • 125
16
votes
1 answer

What is the difference between QAOA and Quantum Annealing?

Edward Farhi's paper on the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm introduces a way for gate model quantum computers to solve combinatorial optimization algorithms. However, D-Wave style quantum annealers have focused on combinatorial…
15
votes
3 answers

Are spin-glass problems NP (-complete)?

It is well known that finding ground states for spin-glass systems (Ising, XY...) is NP-hard (at least as hard as the hardest NP-problems) so that they can be efficiently used to solve other NP problems like the Traveling Salesman Problem. My…
Wouter
  • 311
  • 2
  • 9
10
votes
3 answers

What is the computational complexity of quantum annealing?

Quantum annealing can be thought of as a black box solver that can find approximate solutions to hard optimization problems. For example, D-Wave quantum annealers can approximately solve quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) problems,…
9
votes
2 answers

How much faster is “D-Wave Two” compared to its predecessor?

I don't have any specific task or algorithm in mind, so depending on how they were tested – Is there any research which shows just how the D-Wave Two computer was faster (in terms of computation performance) than its predecessor (D-Wave One)?
kenorb
  • 662
  • 7
  • 13
9
votes
1 answer

Can quantum annealing find excited states?

If we start with a Hamiltonian $H(t_i)$, and with our qubits prepared in the ground state of this, and then slowly change this to a Hamiltonian $H(t_i)$, the final state of our qubits should be the ground state of the new Hamiltonian. This is due to…
James Wootton
  • 11,700
  • 1
  • 35
  • 74
9
votes
2 answers

What precisely is Reverse Annealing?

Quantum Annealing, (related questions Quantum Annealing, or hamiltonian related) is the process used in D-Waves' Quantum Annealer, in which the energy landscapes are explored, for different solutions, and by tuning a suitable Hamiltonian, zero in to…
user3483902
  • 825
  • 8
  • 15
8
votes
2 answers

What's a Qubit on D-Wave 2000Q?

From D-Wave flyer: The D-Wave 2000Q system has up to 2048 qubits and 5600 couplers. To reach this scale, it uses 128,000 Josephson junctions, which makes the D-Wave 2000Q QPU by far the most complex superconducting integrated circuit ever…
0x90
  • 263
  • 1
  • 6
1
2 3 4 5 6 7