arXiv subjects

Zekun Ye

Publications and source records attributed to Zekun Ye.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Experimental Efficient Influence Sampling of Quantum Processes

Characterizing quantum processes is essential for unlocking the potential of quantum devices. However, standard quantum process tomography is resource-intensive and becomes infeasible on large-scale systems. Despite alternative approaches have been successfully developed for specific scenarios, they typically rely on multi-qubit gates or extensive prior knowledge, limiting their practicability and scalability. To address these challenges and complement existing approaches, we introduce $\textit{influence sampling}$, an efficient and scalable protocol that quantifies the $\textit{influence}$ of a quantum process on all qubit subsets using only single-qubit test gates, with sample complexity independent of system size. Using a photonic platform, we demonstrate influence sampling to identify high-influence qubits, reduce the full process to a smaller effective process, i.e., a junta approximation, and then learn it. We further confirm scalability by applying the protocol to a 24-qubit system and validate the junta approximation on a two-qubit process. These results establish influence sampling as a critical characterization technique, facilitating process learning and device assessment.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Efficient Non-Adaptive Quantum Algorithms for Tolerant Junta Testing

We consider the problem of deciding whether an $n$-qubit unitary (or $n$-bit Boolean function) is $\varepsilon_1$-close to some $k$-junta or $\varepsilon_2$-far from every $k$-junta, where $k$-junta unitaries act non-trivially on at most $k$ qubits and as the identity on the rest, and $k$-junta Boolean functions depend on at most $k$ variables. For constant numbers $\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2$ such that $0 < \varepsilon_1 < \varepsilon_2 < 1$, we show the following. (1) A non-adaptive $O(k\log k)$-query tolerant $(\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2)$-tester for $k$-junta unitaries when $2\sqrt{2}\varepsilon_1 < \varepsilon_2$. (2) A non-adaptive tolerant $(\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2)$-tester for Boolean functions with $O(k \log k)$ quantum queries when $4\varepsilon_1 < \varepsilon_2$. (3) A $2^{\widetilde{O}(k)}$-query tolerant $(\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2)$-tester for $k$-junta unitaries for any $\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2$. The first algorithm provides an exponential improvement over the best-known quantum algorithms. The second algorithm shows an exponential quantum advantage over any non-adaptive classical algorithm. The third tester gives the first tolerant junta unitary testing result for an arbitrary gap. Besides, we adapt the first two quantum algorithms to be implemented using only single-qubit operations, thereby enhancing experimental feasibility, with a slightly more stringent requirement for the parameter gap.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Quantum and Classical Communication Complexity of Permutation-Invariant Functions

This paper gives a nearly tight characterization of the quantum communication complexity of the permutation-invariant Boolean functions. With such a characterization, we show that the quantum and randomized communication complexity of the permutation-invariant Boolean functions are quadratically equivalent (up to a logarithmic factor). Our results extend a recent line of research regarding query complexity \cite{AA14, Cha19, BCG+20} to communication complexity, showing symmetry prevents exponential quantum speedups. Furthermore, we show the Log-rank Conjecture holds for any non-trivial total permutation-invariant Boolean function. Moreover, we establish a relationship between the quantum/classical communication complexity and the approximate rank of permutation-invariant Boolean functions. This implies the correctness of the Log-approximate-rank Conjecture for permutation-invariant Boolean functions in both randomized and quantum settings (up to a logarithmic factor).

cs.CC↗

arXiv2024

Distributed Quantum Simulation

Quantum simulation is a promising pathway toward practical quantum advantage by simulating large-scale quantum systems. In this work, we propose communication-efficient distributed quantum simulation protocols by exploring three quantum simulation algorithms, including the product formula, the truncated Taylor series, and the processing of quantum signals over a quantum network. Our protocols are further shown to be optimal by deriving a lower bound on the quantum communication complexity for distributed quantum simulations with respect to evolution time and the number of distributed quantum processing units. Additionally, our distributed techniques go beyond quantum simulation and are applied to distributed versions of Grover's algorithms and quantum phase estimation. Our work not only paves the way for achieving a practical quantum advantage by scalable quantum simulation but also enlightens the design of more general distributed architectures across various physical systems for quantum computation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Machine Learning-Assisted Profiling of Ladder Polymer Structure using Scattering

Ladder polymers, known for their rigid, ladder-like structures, exhibit exceptional thermal stability and mechanical strength, positioning them as candidates for advanced applications. However, accurately determining their structure from solution scattering remains a challenge. Their chain conformation is largely governed by the intrinsic orientational properties of the monomers and their relative orientations, leading to a bimodal distribution of bending angles, unlike conventional polymer chains whose bending angles follow a unimodal Gaussian distribution. Meanwhile, traditional scattering models for polymer chains do not account for these unique structural features. This work introduces a novel approach that integrates machine learning with Monte Carlo simulations to address this challenge. We first develop a Monte Carlo simulation for sampling the configuration space of ladder polymers, where each monomer is modeled as a biaxial segment. Then, we establish a machine learning-assisted scattering analysis framework based on Gaussian Process Regression. Finally, we conduct small-angle neutron scattering experiments on a ladder polymer solution to apply our approach. Our method uncovers structural details of ladder polymers that conventional methods fail to capture.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2024

On the exact quantum query complexity of $\text{MOD}_m^n$ and $\text{EXACT}_{k,l}^n$

The query model has generated considerable interest in both classical and quantum computing communities. Typically, quantum advantages are demonstrated by showcasing a quantum algorithm with a better query complexity compared to its classical counterpart. Exact quantum query algorithms play a pivotal role in developing quantum algorithms. For example, the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm demonstrated exponential quantum advantages over classical deterministic algorithms. As an important complexity measure, exact quantum query complexity describes the minimum number of queries required to solve a specific problem exactly using a quantum algorithm. In this paper, we consider the exact quantum query complexity of the following two $n$-bit symmetric functions $\text{MOD}_m^n:\{0,1\}^n \rightarrow \{0,...,m-1\}$ and $\text{EXACT}_{k,l}^n:\{0,1\}^n \rightarrow \{0,1\}$, which are defined as $\text{MOD}_m^n(x) = |x| \bmod m$ and $ \text{EXACT}_{k,l}^n(x) = 1$ iff $|x| \in \{k,l\}$, where $|x|$ is the number of $1$'s in $x$. Our results are as follows: i) We present an optimal quantum algorithm for computing $\text{MOD}_m^n$, achieving a query complexity of $\lceil n(1-\frac{1}{m}) \rceil$ for $1 < m \le n$. This settles a conjecture proposed by Cornelissen, Mande, Ozols and de Wolf (2021). Based on this algorithm, we show the exact quantum query complexity of a broad class of symmetric functions that map $\{0,1\}^n$ to a finite set $X$ is less than $n$. ii) When $l-k \ge 2$, we give an optimal exact quantum query algorithm to compute $\text{EXACT}_{k,l}^n$ for the case $k=0$ or $k=1,l=n-1$. This resolves the conjecture proposed by Ambainis, Iraids and Nagaj (2017) partially.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2023

On the Fine-Grained Query Complexity of Symmetric Functions

This paper explores a fine-grained version of the Watrous conjecture, including the randomized and quantum algorithms with success probabilities arbitrarily close to $1/2$. Our contributions include the following: i) An analysis of the optimal success probability of quantum and randomized query algorithms of two fundamental partial symmetric Boolean functions given a fixed number of queries. We prove that for any quantum algorithm computing these two functions using $T$ queries, there exist randomized algorithms using $\mathsf{poly}(T)$ queries that achieve the same success probability as the quantum algorithm, even if the success probability is arbitrarily close to 1/2. ii) We establish that for any total symmetric Boolean function $f$, if a quantum algorithm uses $T$ queries to compute $f$ with success probability $1/2+β$, then there exists a randomized algorithm using $O(T^2)$ queries to compute $f$ with success probability $1/2+Ω(δβ^2)$ on a $1-δ$ fraction of inputs, where $β,δ$ can be arbitrarily small positive values. As a corollary, we prove a randomized version of Aaronson-Ambainis Conjecture for total symmetric Boolean functions in the regime where the success probability of algorithms can be arbitrarily close to 1/2. iii) We present polynomial equivalences for several fundamental complexity measures of partial symmetric Boolean functions. Specifically, we first prove that for certain partial symmetric Boolean functions, quantum query complexity is at most quadratic in approximate degree for any error arbitrarily close to 1/2. Next, we show exact quantum query complexity is at most quadratic in degree. Additionally, we give the tight bounds of several complexity measures, indicating their polynomial equivalence.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2022

Deterministic Algorithms for the Hidden Subgroup Problem

We consider deterministic algorithms for the well-known hidden subgroup problem ($\mathsf{HSP}$): for a finite group $G$ and a finite set $X$, given a function $f:G \to X$ and the promise that for any $g_1, g_2 \in G, f(g_1) = f(g_2)$ iff $g_1H=g_2H$ for a subgroup $H \le G$, the goal of the decision version is to determine whether $H$ is trivial or not, and the goal of the identification version is to identify $H$. An algorithm for the problem should query $f(g)$ for $g\in G$ at least as possible. Nayak asked whether there exist deterministic algorithms with $O(\sqrt{\frac{|G|}{|H|}})$ query complexity for $\mathsf{HSP}$. We answer this problem by proving the following results, which also extend the main results of Ref. [30], since here the algorithms do not rely on any prior knowledge of $H$. (i)When $G$ is a general finite Abelian group, there exist an algorithm with $O(\sqrt{\frac{|G|}{|H|}})$ queries to decide the triviality of $H$ and an algorithm to identify $H$ with $O(\sqrt{\frac{|G|}{|H|}\log |H|}+\log |H|)$ queries. (ii)In general there is no deterministic algorithm for the identification version of $\mathsf{HSP}$ with query complexity of $O(\sqrt{\frac{|G|}{|H|}})$, since there exists an instance of $\mathsf{HSP}$ that needs $ω(\sqrt{\frac{|G|}{|H|}})$ queries to identify $H$. $f(x)$ is said to be $ω(g(x))$ if for every positive constant $C$, there exists a positive constant $N$ such that for $x>N$, $f(x)\ge C\cdot g(x)$, which means $g$ is a strict lower bound for $f$. On the other hand, there exist instances of $\mathsf{HSP}$ with query complexity far smaller than $O(\sqrt{\frac{|G|}{|H|}})$, whose query complexity is $O(\log \frac{|G|}{|H|})$ and even $O(1)$.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2021

Query complexity of generalized Simon's problem

Simon's problem plays an important role in the history of quantum algorithms, as it inspired Shor to discover the celebrated quantum algorithm solving integer factorization in polynomial time. Besides, the quantum algorithm for Simon's problem has been recently applied to break symmetric cryptosystems. Generalized Simon's problem, denoted by $\mathsf{GSP}(p,n,k)$, is a natural extension of Simon's problem. In this paper we consider the query complexity of $\mathsf{GSP}(p,n,k)$. First, it is not difficult to design a quantum algorithm solving the above problem with query complexity of $O(n-k)$. However, so far it is not clear what is the classical query complexity of the problem, and revealing this complexity is necessary for clarifying the computational power gap between quantum and classical computing on the problem. To tackle this problem, we prove that any classical (deterministic or randomized) algorithm for $\mathsf{GSP}(p,n,k)$ has to query at least $Ω\left(\max\{k, \sqrt{p^{n-k}}\}\right)$ values and any classical nonadaptive deterministic algorithm for $\mathsf{GSP}(p,n,k)$ has to query at least $Ω\left(\max\{k, \sqrt{k \cdot p^{n-k}}\}\right)$ values. Hence, we clearly show the classical computing model is less powerful than the quantum counterpart, in terms of query complexity for the generalized Simon's problem. Moreover, we obtain an upper bound $O\left(\max\{k, \sqrt{k \cdot p^{n-k}}\}\right)$ on the classical deterministic query complexity of $\mathsf{GSP}(p,n,k)$, by devising a subtle classical algorithm based on group theory and the divide-and-conquer approach. Therefore, we have an almost full characterization of the classical deterministic query complexity of the generalized Simon's problem.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2021

Towards Plug-and-Play Visual Graph Query Interfaces: Data-driven Canned Pattern Selection for Large Networks

Canned patterns (i.e. small subgraph patterns) in visual graph query interfaces (a.k.a GUI) facilitate efficient query formulation by enabling pattern-at-a-time construction mode. However, existing GUIs for querying large networks either do not expose any canned patterns or if they do then they are typically selected manually based on domain knowledge. Unfortunately, manual generation of canned patterns is not only labor intensive but may also lack diversity for supporting efficient visual formulation of a wide range of subgraph queries. In this paper, we present a novel generic and extensible framework called TATTOO that takes a data-driven approach to automatically selecting canned patterns for a GUI from large networks. Specifically, it first decomposes the underlying network into truss-infested and truss-oblivious regions. Then candidate canned patterns capturing different real-world query topologies are generated from these regions. Canned patterns based on a user-specified plug are then selected for the GUI from these candidates by maximizing coverage and diversity, and by minimizing the cognitive load of the pattern set. Experimental studies with real-world datasets demonstrate the benefits of TATTOO. Importantly, this work takes a concrete step towards realizing plug-and-play visual graph query interfaces for large networks.

cs.DB↗

arXiv2021

Sample complexity of hidden subgroup problem

The hidden subgroup problem ($\mathsf{HSP}$) has been attracting much attention in quantum computing, since several well-known quantum algorithms including Shor algorithm can be described in a uniform framework as quantum methods to address different instances of it. One of the central issues about $\mathsf{HSP}$ is to characterize its quantum/classical complexity. For example, from the viewpoint of learning theory, sample complexity is a crucial concept. However, while the quantum sample complexity of the problem has been studied, a full characterization of the classical sample complexity of $\mathsf{HSP}$ seems to be absent, which will thus be the topic in this paper. $\mathsf{HSP}$ over a finite group is defined as follows: For a finite group $G$ and a finite set $V$, given a function $f:G \to V$ and the promise that for any $x, y \in G, f(x) = f(xy)$ iff $y \in H$ for a subgroup $H \in \mathcal{H}$, where $\mathcal{H}$ is a set of candidate subgroups of $G$, the goal is to identify $H$. Our contributions are as follows: For $\mathsf{HSP}$, we give the upper and lower bounds on the sample complexity of $\mathsf{HSP}$. Furthermore, we have applied the result to obtain the sample complexity of some concrete instances of hidden subgroup problem. Particularly, we discuss generalized Simon's problem ($\mathsf{GSP}$), a special case of $\mathsf{HSP}$, and show that the sample complexity of $\mathsf{GSP}$ is $Θ\left(\max\left\{k,\sqrt{k\cdot p^{n-k}}\right\}\right)$. Thus we obtain a complete characterization of the sample complexity of $\mathsf{GSP}$.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2020

Characterization of exact one-query quantum algorithms (ii): for partial functions

The query model (or black-box model) has attracted much attention from the communities of both classical and quantum computing. Usually, quantum advantages are revealed by presenting a quantum algorithm that has a better query complexity than its classical counterpart. For example, the well-known quantum algorithms including Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, Simon algorithm and Grover algorithm all show a considerable advantage of quantum computing from the viewpoint of query complexity. Recently we have considered in (Phys. Rev. A. {\bf 101}, 02232 (2020)) the problem: what functions can be computed by an exact one-query quantum algorithm? This problem has been addressed for total Boolean functions but still open for partial Boolean functions. Thus, in this paper we continue to characterize the computational power of exact one-query quantum algorithms for partial Boolean functions by giving several necessary and sufficient conditions. By these conditions, we construct some new functions that can be computed exactly by one-query quantum algorithms but have essential difference from the already known ones. Note that before our work, the known functions that can be computed by exact one-query quantum algorithms are all symmetric functions, whereas the ones constructed in this papers are generally asymmetric.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Quantum speedup for twin support vector machines

We devise new quantum algorithms that exponentially speeds up the training and prediction procedures of twin support vector machines (TSVM). To train TSVMs using quantum methods, we demonstrate how to prepare the desired input states according to classical data, and these states are used in the quantum algorithm for the system of linear equations. In the prediction process, we employ a quantum circuit to estimate the distances from a new sample to the hyperplanes and then make a decision. The proposed quantum algorithms can learn two non-parallel hyperplanes and classify a new sample by comparing the distances from the sample to the two hyperplanes in $O(\log mn)$ time, where $m$ is the sample size and $n$ is the dimension of each data point. In contrast, the corresponding classical algorithm requires polynomial time for both the training and prediction procedures.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Characterization of exact one-query quantum algorithms

The quantum query models is one of the most important models in quantum computing. Several well-known quantum algorithms are captured by this model, including the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, the Simon algorithm, the Grover algorithm and others. In this paper, we characterize the computational power of exact one-query quantum algorithms. It is proved that a total Boolean function $f:\{0,1\}^n \rightarrow \{0,1\}$ can be exactly computed by a one-query quantum algorithm if and only if $f(x)=x_{i_1}$ or ${x_{i_1} \oplus x_{i_2} }$ (up to isomorphism). Note that unlike most work in the literature based on the polynomial method, our proof does not resort to any knowledge about the polynomial degree of $f$.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2018

A Note on "Quantum Algorithm for Linear Systems of Equations"

Recently, an efficient quantum algorithm for linear systems of equations introduced by Harrow, Hassidim, and Lloyd, has received great concern from the academic community. However, the error and complexity analysis for this algorithm seems so complicated that it may not be applicable to other filter functions for other tasks. In this note, a concise proof is proposed. We hope that it may inspire some novel HHL-based algorithms that can compute $F(A)|b\rangle$ for any computable $F$.

quant-ph↗