arXiv subjects

Shalev Ben-David

Publications and source records attributed to Shalev Ben-David.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Monte Carlo to Las Vegas for Recursively Composed Functions

For a (possibly partial) Boolean function $f\colon\{0,1\}^n\to\{0,1\}$ as well as a query complexity measure $M$ which maps Boolean functions to real numbers, define the composition limit of $M$ on $f$ by $M^*(f)=\lim_{k\to\infty} M(f^k)^{1/k}$. We study the composition limits of general measures in query complexity. We show this limit converges under reasonable assumptions about the measure. We then give a surprising result regarding the composition limit of randomized query complexity: we show $R_0^*(f)=\max\{R^*(f),C^*(f)\}$. Among other things, this implies that any bounded-error randomized algorithm for recursive 3-majority can be turned into a zero-error randomized algorithm for the same task. Our result extends also to quantum algorithms: on recursively composed functions, a bounded-error quantum algorithm can be converted into a quantum algorithm that finds a certificate with high probability. Along the way, we prove various combinatorial properties of measures and composition limits.

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arXiv2025

Direct Product Theorems for Randomized Query Complexity

We establish two new direct product theorems for the randomized query complexity of Boolean functions. The first shows that computing $n$ copies of a function $f$, even with a small success probability of $\gamma^n$, requires $\Theta(n)$ times the "maximum distributional" query complexity of $f$ with success parameter $\gamma$. This result holds for all success parameters $\gamma$, even when $\gamma$ is very close to $1/2$ or to $1$. As a result, it unifies and generalizes Drucker's direct product theorem (2012) for $\gamma$ bounded away from $\frac12$ and $1$ as well as the strong direct sum theorem of Blais and Brody (2019) for $\gamma\approx 1-1/n$. The second establishes a general "list decoding" direct product theorem that captures many different variants of partial computation tasks related to the function $f^n$ consisting of $n$ copies of $f$. Notably, our list decoding direct product theorem yields a new threshold direct product theorem and other new variants such as the labelled-threshold direct product theorem. Both of these direct product theorems are obtained by taking a new approach. Instead of directly analyzing the query complexity of algorithms, we introduce a new measure of complexity of functions that we call "discounted score". We show that this measure satisfies a number of useful structural properties, including tensorization, that make it particularly suitable for the study of direct product questions.

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arXiv2024

Oracle Separations for the Quantum-Classical Polynomial Hierarchy

We study the quantum-classical polynomial hierarchy, QCPH, which is the class of languages solvable by a constant number of alternating classical quantifiers followed by a quantum verifier. Our main result is that QCPH is infinite relative to a random oracle (previously, this was not even known relative to any oracle). We further prove that higher levels of PH are not contained in lower levels of QCPH relative to a random oracle; this is a strengthening of the somewhat recent result that PH is infinite relative to a random oracle (Rossman, Servedio, and Tan 2016). The oracle separation requires lower bounding a certain type of low-depth alternating circuit with some quantum gates. To establish this, we give a new switching lemma for quantum algorithms which may be of independent interest. Our lemma says that for any $d$, if we apply a random restriction to a function $f$ with quantum query complexity $\mathrm{Q}(f)\le n^{1/3}$, the restricted function becomes exponentially close (in terms of $d$) to a depth-$d$ decision tree. Our switching lemma works even in a "worst-case" sense, in that only the indices to be restricted are random; the values they are restricted to are chosen adversarially. Moreover, the switching lemma also works for polynomial degree in place of quantum query complexity.

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arXiv2024

Separations in query complexity for total search problems

We study the query complexity analogue of the class TFNP of total search problems. We give a way to convert partial functions to total search problems under certain settings; we also give a way to convert search problems back into partial functions. As an application, we give new separations for degree-like measures. We give an exponential separation between quantum query complexity and approximate degree for a total search problem. We also give an exponential separation between approximate degree and the positive quantum adversary for a total search problem. We then strengthen the former separation to upper bound a larger measure: the two-sided approximate non-negative degree, also called the conical junta degree. This measure is often larger than quantum query complexity and even a separation from randomized query complexity was not known. We extend our results to communication complexity, and obtain an exponential separation between quantum information complexity and the relaxed partition bound for a total search problem. Even a weaker separation between randomized communication complexity and the relaxed partition bound was not known for total search problems (or even for partial functions). Most of our separations for total search problems can be converted to separations for partial functions. Using this, we reprove the recent exponential separation between quantum query complexity and approximate degree for a partial function by Ambainis and Belovs (2023), among other new results.

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arXiv2024

Quantum algorithms for hypergraph simplex finding

We study the quantum query algorithms for simplex finding, a generalization of triangle finding to hypergraphs. This problem satisfies a rank-reduction property: a quantum query algorithm for finding simplices in rank-$r$ hypergraphs can be turned into a faster algorithm for finding simplices in rank-$(r-1)$ hypergraphs. We then show that every nested Johnson graph quantum walk (with any constant number of nested levels) can be converted into an adaptive learning graph. Then, we introduce the concept of $\alpha$-symmetric learning graphs, which is a useful framework for designing and analyzing complex quantum search algorithms. Inspired by the work of Le Gall, Nishimura, and Tani (2016) on $3$-simplex finding, we use our new technique to obtain an algorithm for $4$-simplex finding in rank-$4$ hypergraphs with $O(n^{2.46})$ quantum query cost, improving the trivial $O(n^{2.5})$ algorithm.

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arXiv2024

Oracle separation of QMA and QCMA with bounded adaptivity

We give an oracle separation between QMA and QCMA for quantum algorithms that have bounded adaptivity in their oracle queries; that is, the number of rounds of oracle calls is small, though each round may involve polynomially many queries in parallel. Our oracle construction is a simplified version of the construction used recently by Li, Liu, Pelecanos, and Yamakawa (2023), who showed an oracle separation between QMA and QCMA when the quantum algorithms are only allowed to access the oracle classically. To prove our results, we introduce a property of relations called \emph{slipperiness}, which may be useful for getting a fully general classical oracle separation between QMA and QCMA.

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arXiv2022

Randomised Composition and Small-Bias Minimax

We prove two results about randomised query complexity $\mathrm{R}(f)$. First, we introduce a "linearised" complexity measure $\mathrm{LR}$ and show that it satisfies an inner-optimal composition theorem: $\mathrm{R}(f\circ g) \geq \Omega(\mathrm{R}(f) \mathrm{LR}(g))$ for all partial $f$ and $g$, and moreover, $\mathrm{LR}$ is the largest possible measure with this property. In particular, $\mathrm{LR}$ can be polynomially larger than previous measures that satisfy an inner composition theorem, such as the max-conflict complexity of Gavinsky, Lee, Santha, and Sanyal (ICALP 2019). Our second result addresses a question of Yao (FOCS 1977). He asked if $\epsilon$-error expected query complexity $\bar{\mathrm{R}}_{\epsilon}(f)$ admits a distributional characterisation relative to some hard input distribution. Vereshchagin (TCS 1998) answered this question affirmatively in the bounded-error case. We show that an analogous theorem fails in the small-bias case $\epsilon=1/2-o(1)$.

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arXiv2021

Unambiguous DNFs and Alon-Saks-Seymour

We exhibit an unambiguous k-DNF formula that requires CNF width $\tildeΩ(k^2)$, which is optimal up to logarithmic factors. As a consequence, we get a near-optimal solution to the Alon--Saks--Seymour problem in graph theory (posed in 1991), which asks: How large a gap can there be between the chromatic number of a graph and its biclique partition number? Our result is also known to imply several other improved separations in query and communication complexity.

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arXiv2020

A Tight Composition Theorem for the Randomized Query Complexity of Partial Functions

We prove two new results about the randomized query complexity of composed functions. First, we show that the randomized composition conjecture is false: there are families of partial Boolean functions $f$ and $g$ such that $R(f\circ g)\ll R(f) R(g)$. In fact, we show that the left hand side can be polynomially smaller than the right hand side (though in our construction, both sides are polylogarithmic in the input size of $f$). Second, we show that for all $f$ and $g$, $R(f\circ g)=Ω(\mathop{noisyR}(f)\cdot R(g))$, where $\mathop{noisyR}(f)$ is a measure describing the cost of computing $f$ on noisy oracle inputs. We show that this composition theorem is the strongest possible of its type: for any measure $M(\cdot)$ satisfying $R(f\circ g)=Ω(M(f)R(g))$ for all $f$ and $g$, it must hold that $\mathop{noisyR}(f)=Ω(M(f))$ for all $f$. We also give a clean characterization of the measure $\mathop{noisyR}(f)$: it satisfies $\mathop{noisyR}(f)=Θ(R(f\circ gapmaj_n)/R(gapmaj_n))$, where $n$ is the input size of $f$ and $gapmaj_n$ is the $\sqrt{n}$-gap majority function on $n$ bits.

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arXiv2020

On Query-to-Communication Lifting for Adversary Bounds

We investigate query-to-communication lifting theorems for models related to the quantum adversary bounds. Our results are as follows: 1. We show that the classical adversary bound lifts to a lower bound on randomized communication complexity with a constant-sized gadget. We also show that the classical adversary bound is a strictly stronger lower bound technique than the previously-lifted measure known as critical block sensitivity, making our lifting theorem one of the strongest lifting theorems for randomized communication complexity using a constant-sized gadget. 2. Turning to quantum models, we show a connection between lifting theorems for quantum adversary bounds and secure 2-party quantum computation in a certain "honest-but-curious" model. Under the assumption that such secure 2-party computation is impossible, we show that a simplified version of the positive-weight adversary bound lifts to a quantum communication lower bound using a constant-sized gadget. We also give an unconditional lifting theorem which lower bounds bounded-round quantum communication protocols. 3. Finally, we give some new results in query complexity. We show that the classical adversary and the positive-weight quantum adversary are quadratically related. We also show that the positive-weight quantum adversary is never larger than the square of the approximate degree. Both relations hold even for partial functions.

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arXiv2020

Degree vs. Approximate Degree and Quantum Implications of Huang's Sensitivity Theorem

Based on the recent breakthrough of Huang (2019), we show that for any total Boolean function $f$, $\bullet \quad \mathrm{deg}(f) = O(\widetilde{\mathrm{deg}}(f)^2)$: The degree of $f$ is at most quadratic in the approximate degree of $f$. This is optimal as witnessed by the OR function. $\bullet \quad \mathrm{D}(f) = O(\mathrm{Q}(f)^4)$: The deterministic query complexity of $f$ is at most quartic in the quantum query complexity of $f$. This matches the known separation (up to log factors) due to Ambainis, Balodis, Belovs, Lee, Santha, and Smotrovs (2017). We apply these results to resolve the quantum analogue of the Aanderaa--Karp--Rosenberg conjecture. We show that if $f$ is a nontrivial monotone graph property of an $n$-vertex graph specified by its adjacency matrix, then $\mathrm{Q}(f)=Ω(n)$, which is also optimal. We also show that the approximate degree of any read-once formula on $n$ variables is $Θ(\sqrt{n})$.

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arXiv2020

A New Minimax Theorem for Randomized Algorithms

The celebrated minimax principle of Yao (1977) says that for any Boolean-valued function $f$ with finite domain, there is a distribution $μ$ over the domain of $f$ such that computing $f$ to error $ε$ against inputs from $μ$ is just as hard as computing $f$ to error $ε$ on worst-case inputs. Notably, however, the distribution $μ$ depends on the target error level $ε$: the hard distribution which is tight for bounded error might be trivial to solve to small bias, and the hard distribution which is tight for a small bias level might be far from tight for bounded error levels. In this work, we introduce a new type of minimax theorem which can provide a hard distribution $μ$ that works for all bias levels at once. We show that this works for randomized query complexity, randomized communication complexity, some randomized circuit models, quantum query and communication complexities, approximate polynomial degree, and approximate logrank. We also prove an improved version of Impagliazzo's hardcore lemma. Our proofs rely on two innovations over the classical approach of using Von Neumann's minimax theorem or linear programming duality. First, we use Sion's minimax theorem to prove a minimax theorem for ratios of bilinear functions representing the cost and score of algorithms. Second, we introduce a new way to analyze low-bias randomized algorithms by viewing them as "forecasting algorithms" evaluated by a proper scoring rule. The expected score of the forecasting version of a randomized algorithm appears to be a more fine-grained way of analyzing the bias of the algorithm. We show that such expected scores have many elegant mathematical properties: for example, they can be amplified linearly instead of quadratically. We anticipate forecasting algorithms will find use in future work in which a fine-grained analysis of small-bias algorithms is required.

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arXiv2020

Symmetries, graph properties, and quantum speedups

Aaronson and Ambainis (2009) and Chailloux (2018) showed that fully symmetric (partial) functions do not admit exponential quantum query speedups. This raises a natural question: how symmetric must a function be before it cannot exhibit a large quantum speedup? In this work, we prove that hypergraph symmetries in the adjacency matrix model allow at most a polynomial separation between randomized and quantum query complexities. We also show that, remarkably, permutation groups constructed out of these symmetries are essentially the only permutation groups that prevent super-polynomial quantum speedups. We prove this by fully characterizing the primitive permutation groups that allow super-polynomial quantum speedups. In contrast, in the adjacency list model for bounded-degree graphs (where graph symmetry is manifested differently), we exhibit a property testing problem that shows an exponential quantum speedup. These results resolve open questions posed by Ambainis, Childs, and Liu (2010) and Montanaro and de Wolf (2013).

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arXiv2020

When Is Amplification Necessary for Composition in Randomized Query Complexity?

Suppose we have randomized decision trees for an outer function $f$ and an inner function $g$. The natural approach for obtaining a randomized decision tree for the composed function $(f\circ g^n)(x^1,\ldots,x^n)=f(g(x^1),\ldots,g(x^n))$ involves amplifying the success probability of the decision tree for $g$, so that a union bound can be used to bound the error probability over all the coordinates. The amplification introduces a logarithmic factor cost overhead. We study the question: When is this log factor necessary? We show that when the outer function is parity or majority, the log factor can be necessary, even for models that are more powerful than plain randomized decision trees. Our results are related to, but qualitatively strengthen in various ways, known results about decision trees with noisy inputs.

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arXiv2020

Quantum Implications of Huang's Sensitivity Theorem

Based on the recent breakthrough of Huang (2019), we show that for any total Boolean function $f$, the deterministic query complexity, $D(f)$, is at most quartic in the quantum query complexity, $Q(f)$: $D(f) = O(Q(f)^4)$. This matches the known separation (up to log factors) due to Ambainis, Balodis, Belovs, Lee, Santha, and Smotrovs (2017). We also use the result to resolve the quantum analogue of the Aanderaa-Karp-Rosenberg conjecture. We show that if $f$ is a nontrivial monotone graph property of an $n$-vertex graph specified by its adjacency matrix, then $Q(f) = Ω(n)$, which is also optimal.

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arXiv2020

How symmetric is too symmetric for large quantum speedups?

Suppose a Boolean function $f$ is symmetric under a group action $G$ acting on the $n$ bits of the input. For which $G$ does this mean $f$ does not have an exponential quantum speedup? Is there a characterization of how rich $G$ must be before the function $f$ cannot have enough structure for quantum algorithms to exploit? In this work, we make several steps towards understanding the group actions $G$ which are "quantum intolerant" in this way. We show that sufficiently transitive group actions do not allow a quantum speedup, and that a "well-shuffling" property of group actions -- which happens to be preserved by several natural transformations -- implies a lack of super-polynomial speedups for functions symmetric under the group action. Our techniques are motivated by a recent paper by Chailloux (2018), which deals with the case where $G=S_n$. Our main application is for graph symmetries: we show that any Boolean function $f$ defined on the adjacency matrix of a graph (and symmetric under relabeling the vertices of the graph) has a power $6$ relationship between its randomized and quantum query complexities, even if $f$ is a partial function. In particular, this means no graph property testing problems can have super-polynomial quantum speedups, settling an open problem of Ambainis, Childs, and Liu (2011).

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arXiv2019

Separations in query complexity using cheat sheets

We show a power 2.5 separation between bounded-error randomized and quantum query complexity for a total Boolean function, refuting the widely believed conjecture that the best such separation could only be quadratic (from Grover's algorithm). We also present a total function with a power 4 separation between quantum query complexity and approximate polynomial degree, showing severe limitations on the power of the polynomial method. Finally, we exhibit a total function with a quadratic gap between quantum query complexity and certificate complexity, which is optimal (up to log factors). These separations are shown using a new, general technique that we call the cheat sheet technique. The technique is based on a generic transformation that converts any (possibly partial) function into a new total function with desirable properties for showing separations. The framework also allows many known separations, including some recent breakthrough results of Ambainis et al., to be shown in a unified manner.

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arXiv2019

Quantum distinguishing complexity, zero-error algorithms, and statistical zero knowledge

We define a new query measure we call quantum distinguishing complexity, denoted QD(f) for a Boolean function f. Unlike a quantum query algorithm, which must output a state close to |0> on a 0-input and a state close to |1> on a 1-input, a "quantum distinguishing algorithm" can output any state, as long as the output states for any 0-input and 1-input are distinguishable. Using this measure, we establish a new relationship in query complexity: For all total functions f, Q_0(f)=O~(Q(f)^5), where Q_0(f) and Q(f) denote the zero-error and bounded-error quantum query complexity of f respectively, improving on the previously known sixth power relationship. We also define a query measure based on quantum statistical zero-knowledge proofs, QSZK(f), which is at most Q(f). We show that QD(f) in fact lower bounds QSZK(f) and not just Q(f). QD(f) also upper bounds the (positive-weights) adversary bound, which yields the following relationships for all f: Q(f) >= QSZK(f) >= QS(f) = Omega(Adv(f)). This sheds some light on why the adversary bound proves suboptimal bounds for problems like Collision and Set Equality, which have low QSZK complexity. Lastly, we show implications for lifting theorems in communication complexity. We show that a general lifting theorem for either zero-error quantum query complexity or for QSZK would imply a general lifting theorem for bounded-error quantum query complexity.

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