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We study the complexity of quantum query algorithms that make p queries in parallel in each timestep. This model is in part motivated by the fact that decoherence times of qubits are typically small, so it makes sense to parallelize quantum algorithms as much as possible. We show tight bounds for a number of problems, specifically Theta((n/p)^{2/3}) p-parallel queries for element distinctness and Theta((n/p)^{k/(k+1)} for k-sum. Our upper bounds are obtained by parallelized quantum walk algorithms, and our lower bounds are based on a relatively small modification of the adversary lower bound method, combined with recent results of Belovs et al. on learning graphs. We also prove some general bounds, in particular that quantum and classical p-parallel complexity are polynomially related for all total functions f when p is small compared to fs block sensitivity.
The query model offers a concrete setting where quantum algorithms are provably superior to randomized algorithms. Beautiful results by Bernstein-Vazirani, Simon, Aaronson, and others presented partial Boolean functions that can be computed by quantum algorithms making much fewer queries compared to their randomized analogs. To date, separations of $O(1)$ vs. $sqrt{N}$ between quantum and randomized query complexities remain the state-of-the-art (where $N$ is the input length), leaving open the question of whether $O(1)$ vs. $N^{1/2+Omega(1)}$ separations are possible? We answer this question in the affirmative. Our separating problem is a variant of the Aaronson-Ambainis $k$-fold Forrelation problem. We show that our variant: (1) Can be solved by a quantum algorithm making $2^{O(k)}$ queries to the inputs. (2) Requires at least $tilde{Omega}(N^{2(k-1)/(3k-1)})$ queries for any randomized algorithm. For any constant $varepsilon>0$, this gives a $O(1)$ vs. $N^{2/3-varepsilon}$ separation between the quantum and randomized query complexities of partial Boolean functions. Our proof is Fourier analytical and uses new bounds on the Fourier spectrum of classical decision trees, which could be of independent interest. Looking forward, we conjecture that the Fourier bounds could be further improved in a precise manner, and show that such conjectured bounds imply optimal $O(1)$ vs. $N^{1-varepsilon}$ separations between the quantum and randomized query complexities of partial Boolean functions.
$ ewcommand{eps}{varepsilon} $In learning theory, the VC dimension of a concept class $C$ is the most common way to measure its richness. In the PAC model $$ ThetaBig(frac{d}{eps} + frac{log(1/delta)}{eps}Big) $$ examples are necessary and sufficient for a learner to output, with probability $1-delta$, a hypothesis $h$ that is $eps$-close to the target concept $c$. In the related agnostic model, where the samples need not come from a $cin C$, we know that $$ ThetaBig(frac{d}{eps^2} + frac{log(1/delta)}{eps^2}Big) $$ examples are necessary and sufficient to output an hypothesis $hin C$ whose error is at most $eps$ worse than the best concept in $C$. Here we analyze quantum sample complexity, where each example is a coherent quantum state. This model was introduced by Bshouty and Jackson, who showed that quantum examples are more powerful than classical examples in some fixed-distribution settings. However, Atici and Servedio, improved by Zhang, showed that in the PAC setting, quantum examples cannot be much more powerful: the required number of quantum examples is $$ OmegaBig(frac{d^{1-eta}}{eps} + d + frac{log(1/delta)}{eps}Big)mbox{ for all }eta> 0. $$ Our main result is that quantum and classical sample complexity are in fact equal up to constant factors in both the PAC and agnostic models. We give two approaches. The first is a fairly simple information-theoretic argument that yields the above two classical bounds and yields the same bounds for quantum sample complexity up to a $log(d/eps)$ factor. We then give a second approach that avoids the log-factor loss, based on analyzing the behavior of the Pretty Good Measurement on the quantum state identification problems that correspond to learning. This shows classical and quantum sample complexity are equal up to constant factors.
We propose a learning model called the quantum statistical learning QSQ model, which extends the SQ learning model introduced by Kearns to the quantum setting. Our model can be also seen as a restriction of the quantum PAC learning model: here, the learner does not have direct access to quantum examples, but can only obtain estimates of measurement statistics on them. Theoretically, this model provides a simple yet expressive setting to explore the power of quantum examples in machine learning. From a practical perspective, since simpler operations are required, learning algorithms in the QSQ model are more feasible for implementation on near-term quantum devices. We prove a number of results about the QSQ learning model. We first show that parity functions, (log n)-juntas and polynomial-sized DNF formulas are efficiently learnable in the QSQ model, in contrast to the classical setting where these problems are provably hard. This implies that many of the advantages of quantum PAC learning can be realized even in the more restricted quantum SQ learning model. It is well-known that weak statistical query dimension, denoted by WSQDIM(C), characterizes the complexity of learning a concept class C in the classical SQ model. We show that log(WSQDIM(C)) is a lower bound on the complexity of QSQ learning, and furthermore it is tight for certain concept classes C. Additionally, we show that this quantity provides strong lower bounds for the small-bias quantum communication model under product distributions. Finally, we introduce the notion of private quantum PAC learning, in which a quantum PAC learner is required to be differentially private. We show that learnability in the QSQ model implies learnability in the quantum private PAC model. Additionally, we show that in the private PAC learning setting, the classical and quantum sample complexities are equal, up to constant factors.
We combine the classical notions and techniques for bounded query classes with those developed in quantum computing. We give strong evidence that quantum queries to an oracle in the class NP does indeed reduce the query complexity of decision problems. Under traditional complexity assumptions, we obtain an exponential speedup between the quantum and the classical query complexity of function classes. For decision problems and function classes we obtain the following results: o P_||^NP[2k] is included in EQP_||^NP[k] o P_||^NP[2^(k+1)-2] is included in EQP^NP[k] o FP_||^NP[2^(k+1)-2] is included in FEQP^NP[2k] o FP_||^NP is included in FEQP^NP[O(log n)] For sets A that are many-one complete for PSPACE or EXP we show that FP^A is included in FEQP^A[1]. Sets A that are many-one complete for PP have the property that FP_||^A is included in FEQP^A[1]. In general we prove that for any set A there is a set X such that FP^A is included in FEQP^X[1], establishing that no set is superterse in the quantum setting.
Simons problem is one of the most important problems demonstrating the power of quantum computers, which achieves a large separation between quantum and classical query complexities. However, Simons discussion on his problem was limited to bounded-error setting, which means his algorithm can not always get the correct answer. Exact quantum algorithms for Simons problem have also been proposed, which deterministically solve the problem with O(n) queries. Also the quantum lower bound Omega(n) for Simons problem is known. Although these algorithms are either complicated or specialized, their results give an O(n) versus Omega(sqrt{2^{n}}) separation in exact query complexities for Simons problem (Omega(sqrt{2^{n}}) is the lower bound for classical probabilistic algorithms), but it has not been proved whether this separation is optimal. In this paper, we propose another exact quantum algorithm for solving Simons problem with O(n) queries, which is simple, concrete and does not rely on special query oracles. Our algorithm combines Simons algorithm with the quantum amplitude amplification technique to ensure its determinism. In particular, we show that Simons problem can be solved by a classical deterministic algorithm with O(sqrt{2^{n}}) queries (as we are aware, there were no classical deterministic algorithms for solving Simons problem with O(sqrt{2^{n}}) queries). Combining some previous results, we obtain the optimal separation in exact query complexities for Simons problem: Theta({n}) versus Theta({sqrt{2^{n}}}).