A Pathway to Practical Quantum Advantage in Solving Navier-Stokes Equations

Abstract

The advent of fault-tolerant quantum computing (FTQC) promises to tackle classically intractable problems. A key milestone is solving the Navier-Stokes equations (NSE), which has remained formidable for quantum algorithms due to their high input-output overhead and nonlinearity. Here, we establish a full-stack framework that charts a practical pathway to a quantum advantage for large-scale NSE simulation. Our approach integrates a spectral-based input/output algorithm, an explicit and synthesized quantum circuit, and a refined error-correction protocol. The algorithm achieves an end-to-end exponential speedup in asymptotic complexity, meeting the lower bound for general quantum linear system solvers. Through symmetry-based circuit synthesis and optimized error correction, we reduce the required logical and physical resources by two orders of magnitude. Our concrete resource analysis demonstrates that solving NSE on a $2^{80}$-grid is feasible with 8.71 million physical qubits (at an error rate of $5 \times 10^{-4}$) in 42.6 days -- outperforming a state-of-the-art supercomputer, which would require over a century. This work bridges the gap between theoretical quantum speedup and the practical deployment of high-performance scientific computing.