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Andris Ambainis

Publications and source records attributed to Andris Ambainis.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
arXiv2010

Symmetry-assisted adversaries for quantum state generation

We introduce a new quantum adversary method to prove lower bounds on the query complexity of the quantum state generation problem. This problem encompasses both, the computation of partial or total functions and the preparation of target quantum states. There has been hope for quite some time that quantum state generation might be a route to tackle the {\sc Graph Isomorphism} problem. We show that for the related problem of {\sc Index Erasure} our method leads to a lower bound of $Ω(\sqrt N)$ which matches an upper bound obtained via reduction to quantum search on $N$ elements. This closes an open problem first raised by Shi [FOCS'02]. Our approach is based on two ideas: (i) on the one hand we generalize the known additive and multiplicative adversary methods to the case of quantum state generation, (ii) on the other hand we show how the symmetries of the underlying problem can be leveraged for the design of optimal adversary matrices and dramatically simplify the computation of adversary bounds. Taken together, these two ideas give the new result for {\sc Index Erasure} by using the representation theory of the symmetric group. Also, the method can lead to lower bounds even for small success probability, contrary to the standard adversary method. Furthermore, we answer an open question due to Špalek [CCC'08] by showing that the multiplicative version of the adversary method is stronger than the additive one for any problem. Finally, we prove that the multiplicative bound satisfies a strong direct product theorem, extending a result by Špalek to quantum state generation problems.

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arXiv2010

Variable time amplitude amplification and a faster quantum algorithm for solving systems of linear equations

We present two new quantum algorithms. Our first algorithm is a generalization of amplitude amplification to the case when parts of the quantum algorithm that is being amplified stop at different times. Our second algorithm uses the first algorithm to improve the running time of Harrow et al. algorithm for solving systems of linear equations from O(kappa^2 log N) to O(kappa log^3 kappa log N) where κis the condition number of the system of equations.

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arXiv2010

Limits on entropic uncertainty relations for 3 and more MUBs

We consider entropic uncertainty relations for outcomes of the measurements of a quantum state in 3 or more mutually unbiased bases (MUBs), chosen from the standard construction of MUBs in prime dimension. We show that, for any choice of 3 MUBs and at least one choice of a larger number of MUBs, the best possible entropic uncertainty relation can be only marginally better than the one that trivially follows from the relation by Maassen and Uffink (PRL, 1987) for 2 bases.

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arXiv2010

New Developments in Quantum Algorithms

In this survey, we describe two recent developments in quantum algorithms. The first new development is a quantum algorithm for evaluating a Boolean formula consisting of AND and OR gates of size N in time O(\sqrt{N}). This provides quantum speedups for any problem that can be expressed via Boolean formulas. This result can be also extended to span problems, a generalization of Boolean formulas. This provides an optimal quantum algorithm for any Boolean function in the black-box query model. The second new development is a quantum algorithm for solving systems of linear equations. In contrast with traditional algorithms that run in time O(N^{2.37...}) where N is the size of the system, the quantum algorithm runs in time O(\log^c N). It outputs a quantum state describing the solution of the system.

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arXiv2010

Random tensor theory: extending random matrix theory to random product states

We consider a problem in random matrix theory that is inspired by quantum information theory: determining the largest eigenvalue of a sum of p random product states in (C^d)^{otimes k}, where k and p/d^k are fixed while d grows. When k=1, the Marcenko-Pastur law determines (up to small corrections) not only the largest eigenvalue ((1+sqrt{p/d^k})^2) but the smallest eigenvalue (min(0,1-sqrt{p/d^k})^2) and the spectral density in between. We use the method of moments to show that for k>1 the largest eigenvalue is still approximately (1+sqrt{p/d^k})^2 and the spectral density approaches that of the Marcenko-Pastur law, generalizing the random matrix theory result to the random tensor case. Our bound on the largest eigenvalue has implications both for sampling from a particular heavy-tailed distribution and for a recently proposed quantum data-hiding and correlation-locking scheme due to Leung and Winter. Since the matrices we consider have neither independent entries nor unitary invariance, we need to develop new techniques for their analysis. The main contribution of this paper is to give three different methods for analyzing mixtures of random product states: a diagrammatic approach based on Gaussian integrals, a combinatorial method that looks at the cycle decompositions of permutations and a recursive method that uses a variant of the Schwinger-Dyson equations.

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arXiv2009

A Quantum Lovasz Local Lemma

The Lovasz Local Lemma (LLL) is a powerful tool in probability theory to show the existence of combinatorial objects meeting a prescribed collection of "weakly dependent" criteria. We show that the LLL extends to a much more general geometric setting, where events are replaced with subspaces and probability is replaced with relative dimension, which allows to lower bound the dimension of the intersection of vector spaces under certain independence conditions. Our result immediately applies to the k-QSAT problem: For instance we show that any collection of rank 1 projectors with the property that each qubit appears in at most $2^k/(e \cdot k)$ of them, has a joint satisfiable state. We then apply our results to the recently studied model of random k-QSAT. Recent works have shown that the satisfiable region extends up to a density of 1 in the large k limit, where the density is the ratio of projectors to qubits. Using a hybrid approach building on work by Laumann et al. we greatly extend the known satisfiable region for random k-QSAT to a density of $Ω(2^k/k^2)$. Since our tool allows us to show the existence of joint satisfying states without the need to construct them, we are able to penetrate into regions where the satisfying states are conjectured to be entangled, avoiding the need to construct them, which has limited previous approaches to product states.

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arXiv2009

Average/Worst-Case Gap of Quantum Query Complexities by On-Set Size

This paper considers the query complexity of the functions in the family F_{N,M} of N-variable Boolean functions with onset size M, i.e., the number of inputs for which the function value is 1, where 1<= M <= 2^{N}/2 is assumed without loss of generality because of the symmetry of function values, 0 and 1. Our main results are as follows: (1) There is a super-linear gap between the average-case and worst-case quantum query complexities over F_{N,M} for a certain range of M. (2) There is no super-linear gap between the average-case and worst-case randomized query complexities over F_{N,M} for every M. (3) For every M bounded by a polynomial in N, any function in F_{N,M} has quantum query complexity Theta (sqrt{N}). (4) For every M=O(2^{cN}) with an arbitrary large constant c<1, any function in F_{N,M} has randomized query complexity Omega (N).

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arXiv2009

Quantum Random Access Codes with Shared Randomness

We consider a communication method, where the sender encodes n classical bits into 1 qubit and sends it to the receiver who performs a certain measurement depending on which of the initial bits must be recovered. This procedure is called (n,1,p) quantum random access code (QRAC) where p > 1/2 is its success probability. It is known that (2,1,0.85) and (3,1,0.79) QRACs (with no classical counterparts) exist and that (4,1,p) QRAC with p > 1/2 is not possible. We extend this model with shared randomness (SR) that is accessible to both parties. Then (n,1,p) QRAC with SR and p > 1/2 exists for any n > 0. We give an upper bound on its success probability (the known (2,1,0.85) and (3,1,0.79) QRACs match this upper bound). We discuss some particular constructions for several small values of n. We also study the classical counterpart of this model where n bits are encoded into 1 bit instead of 1 qubit and SR is used. We give an optimal construction for such codes and find their success probability exactly--it is less than in the quantum case. Interactive 3D quantum random access codes are available on-line at http://home.lanet.lv/~sd20008/racs .

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arXiv2009

Non-malleable encryption of quantum information

We introduce the notion of "non-malleability" of a quantum state encryption scheme (in dimension d): in addition to the requirement that an adversary cannot learn information about the state, here we demand that no controlled modification of the encrypted state can be effected. We show that such a scheme is equivalent to a "unitary 2-design" [Dankert et al.], as opposed to normal encryption which is a unitary 1-design. Our other main results include a new proof of the lower bound of (d^2-1)^2+1 on the number of unitaries in a 2-design [Gross et al.], which lends itself to a generalization to approximate 2-design. Furthermore, while in prime power dimension there is a unitary 2-design with =< d^5 elements, we show that there are always approximate 2-designs with O(epsilon^{-2} d^4 log d) elements.

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arXiv2008

Improved constructions of quantum automata

We present a simple construction of quantum automata which achieve an exponential advantage over classical finite automata. Our automata use \frac{4}ε \log 2p + O(1) states to recognize a language that requires p states classically. The construction is both substantially simpler and achieves a better constant in the front of \log p than the previously known construction of Ambainis and Freivalds (quant-ph/9802062). Similarly to Ambainis and Freivalds, our construction is by a probabilistic argument. We consider the possibility to derandomize it and present some results in this direction.

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arXiv2007

Quantum t-designs: t-wise independence in the quantum world

A t-design for quantum states is a finite set of quantum states with the property of simulating the Haar-measure on quantum states, w.r.t. any test that uses at most t copies of a state. We give efficient constructions for approximate quantum t-designs for arbitrary t. We then show that an approximate 4-design provides a derandomization of the state-distinction problem considered by Sen (quant-ph/0512085), which is relevant to solving certain instances of the hidden subgroup problem.

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arXiv2006

Quantum search with variable times

Since Grover's seminal work, quantum search has been studied in great detail. In the usual search problem, we have a collection of n items and we would like to find a marked item. We consider a new variant of this problem in which evaluating the i-th item may take a different number of time steps for different i. Let t_i be the number of time steps required to evaluate the i-th item. If the numbers t_i are known in advance, we give an algorithm that solves the problem in O(\sqrt{t_1^2+t_2^2+...+t_n^2}) steps. This is optimal, as we also show a matching lower bound. The case, when t_i are not known in advance, can be solved with a polylogarithmic overhead. We also give an application of our new search algorithm to computing read-once functions.

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arXiv2006

A New Quantum Lower Bound Method, with Applications to Direct Product Theorems and Time-Space Tradeoffs

We give a new version of the adversary method for proving lower bounds on quantum query algorithms. The new method is based on analyzing the eigenspace structure of the problem at hand. We use it to prove a new and optimal strong direct product theorem for 2-sided error quantum algorithms computing k independent instances of a symmetric Boolean function: if the algorithm uses significantly less than k times the number of queries needed for one instance of the function, then its success probability is exponentially small in k. We also use the polynomial method to prove a direct product theorem for 1-sided error algorithms for k threshold functions with a stronger bound on the success probability. Finally, we present a quantum algorithm for evaluating solutions to systems of linear inequalities, and use our direct product theorems to show that the time-space tradeoff of this algorithm is close to optimal.

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arXiv2006

Robust Quantum Algorithms for Oracle Identification

The oracle identification problem (OIP) was introduced by Ambainis et al. \cite{AIKMRY04}. It is given as a set $S$ of $M$ oracles and a blackbox oracle $f$. Our task is to figure out which oracle in $S$ is equal to the blackbox $f$ by making queries to $f$. OIP includes several problems such as the Grover Search as special cases. In this paper, we improve the algorithms in \cite{AIKMRY04} by providing a mostly optimal upper bound of query complexity for this problem: ($i$) For any oracle set $S$ such that $|S| \le 2^{N^d}$ ($d < 1$), we design an algorithm whose query complexity is $O(\sqrt{N\log{M}/\log{N}})$, matching the lower bound proved in \cite{AIKMRY04}. ($ii$) Our algorithm also works for the range between $2^{N^d}$ and $2^{N/\log{N}}$ (where the bound becomes O(N)), but the gap between the upper and lower bounds worsens gradually. ($iii$) Our algorithm is robust, namely, it exhibits the same performance (up to a constant factor) against the noisy oracles as also shown in the literatures \cite{AC02,BNRW03,HMW03} for special cases of OIP.

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arXiv2005

The Minimum Distance Problem for Two-Way Entanglement Purification

Entanglement purification takes a number of noisy EPR pairs and processes them to produce a smaller number of more reliable pairs. If this is done with only a forward classical side channel, the procedure is equivalent to using a quantum error-correcting code (QECC). We instead investigate entanglement purification protocols with two-way classical side channels (2-EPPs) for finite block sizes. In particular, we consider the analog of the minimum distance problem for QECCs, and show that 2-EPPs can exceed the quantum Hamming bound and the quantum Singleton bound. We also show that 2-EPPs can achieve the rate k/n = 1 - (t/n) \log_2 3 - h(t/n) - O(1/n) (asymptotically reaching the quantum Hamming bound), where the EPP produces at least k good pairs out of n total pairs with up to t arbitrary errors, and h(x) = -x \log_2 x - (1-x) \log_2 (1-x) is the usual binary entropy. In contrast, the best known lower bound on the rate of QECCs is the quantum Gilbert-Varshamov bound k/n \geq 1 - (2t/n) \log_2 3 - h(2t/n). Indeed, in some regimes, the known upper bound on the asymptotic rate of good QECCs is strictly below our lower bound on the achievable rate of 2-EPPs.

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