The optimization of measurements for the state distinction problem has recently been applied to the theory of quantum algorithms with considerable successes, including efficient alternative quantum algorithms for the non-Abelian hidden-subgroup problem. Previous work has identified the optimal single-copy measurement for the hidden-subgroup problem over Abelian groups as well as for the non-Abelian problem in the setting where the subgroups are restricted to be all conjugate to each other. Here we describe the optimal single-copy measurement for the hidden-subgroup problem when all of the subgroups of the group are given with equal a priori probability. The optimal measurement is seen to be a hybrid of the two previously discovered single-copy optimal measurements for the hidden-subgroup problem.
The optimization of measurements for the state distinction problem has recently been applied to the theory of quantum algorithms with considerable successes, including efficient alternative quantum algorithms for the non-Abelian hidden-subgroup problem. Previous work has identified the optimal single-copy measurement for the hidden-subgroup problem over Abelian groups as well as for the non-Abelian problem in the setting where the subgroups are restricted to be all conjugate to each other. Here we describe the optimal single-copy measurement for the hidden-subgroup problem when all of the subgroups of the group are given with equal a priori probability. The optimal measurement is seen to be a hybrid of the two previously discovered single-copy optimal measurements for the hidden-subgroup problem.
We approach the hidden subgroup problem by performing the so-called pretty good measurement on hidden subgroup states. For various groups that can be expressed as the semidirect product of an abelian group and a cyclic group, we show that the pretty good measurement is optimal and that its probability of success and unitary implementation are closely related to an average-case algebraic problem. By solving this problem, we find efficient quantum algorithms for a number of nonabelian hidden subgroup problems, including some for which no efficient algorithm was previously known: certain metacyclic groups as well as all groups of the form /spl Zopf//sub p/ /sup r/ /spl times/ /spl Zopf//sub p/ fixed r (including the Heisenberg group, r = 2). In particular our results show that entangled measurements across multiple copies of hidden subgroup states can be useful for efficiently solving the nonabelian HSP.
We consider the dihedral hidden subgroup problem as the problem of distinguishing hidden subgroup states.We show that the optimal measurement for solving this problem is the so-called pretty good measurement.We then prove that the success probability of this measurement exhibits a sharp threshold as a function of the density ν = k/ log 2 N , where k is the number of copies of the hidden subgroup state and 2N is the order of the dihedral group.In particular, for ν < 1 the optimal measurement (and hence any measurement) identifies the hidden subgroup with a probability that is exponentially small in log N , while for ν > 1 the optimal measurement identifies the hidden subgroup with a probability of order unity.Thus the dihedral group provides an example of a group G for which Ω(log |G|) hidden subgroup states are necessary to solve the hidden subgroup problem.We also consider the optimal measurement for determining a single bit of the answer, and show that it exhibits the same threshold.Finally, we consider implementing the optimal measurement by a quantum circuit, and thereby establish further connections between the dihedral hidden subgroup problem and average case subset sum problems.In particular, we show that an efficient quantum algorithm for a restricted version of the optimal measurement would imply an efficient quantum algorithm for the subset sum problem, and conversely, that the ability to quantum sample from subset sum solutions allows one to implement the optimal measurement.
In the quest to identify further quantum algorithms exhibiting superpolynomial speed-ups, a recurring theme is that the complexity of a problem is largely shaped by the input access model. Here, we study this phenomenon for the state hidden subgroup problem (StateHSP), a quantum generalization of the hidden subgroup problem in which the goal is to identify the symmetries of an unknown quantum state. For finite abelian groups, existing Fourier-sampling algorithms use O(log(∣G∣)/ε) copies of the state, but whether this scaling is optimal has remained open. We settle the complexity of the abelian StateHSP in both the previously studied sample model and a new query model, which is a stronger and operationally natural generalization that provides access to the state-preparation unitary and its inverse. In the query model, we give a time-efficient quantum algorithm using O(log(∣G/H∣)/ε) forward and inverse queries, and prove a matching Ω(log(∣G/H∣)/ε) lower bound which holds even in the stronger conjugate-query and controlled-query settings. By contrast, we show that in the sample model, Θ(log(∣G/H∣)/ε) copies are both sufficient and information-theoretically necessary, even if one allows for arbitrary collective measurements. Thus, the quadratic improvement in ε genuinely arises from coherent access to the preparation circuit. As applications, we obtain faster algorithms for learning stabilizer groups, locating unentanglement, and identifying hidden translation symmetries.
This dissertation concerns the Hidden Subgroup Problem (HSP) in quantum computation. We explore certain facets of the problem which, we expect, will lead towards a general framework for understanding such problems. We first present an implementation of an optimal measurement, the Pretty Good Measurement (PGM), for the problem of the hidden subgroup problem over the dihedral group. This is a problem for which no efficient algorithm is known. This problem is relevant to the shortest vector in a lattice problem (SVP) in cryptography. We give a representation theoretic implementation of the PGM, achievable with only abelian transforms. The subset sum problem, an NP-complete problem, is needed in identification of certain subspaces. There are some novel ideas and techniques used in the implementation that make it realizable. This brings into focus how a measurement specified through a POVM (positive operator valued measure) is achievable through a basis change in a particular representation. This has connections to the HSP for other groups. We also study the question of optimal query selection to maximize the probability of subgroup identification. This part of the research complements a well-researched topic of finding optimal measurements in the spirit of state discrimination as applied to the hidden subgroup problem. We find the optimal query, the "character query", over a class of queries that are an equal superposition over the group, for oracles that take values in a finite abelian group. This query outperforms the query used in the "standard method" of the HSP. This approach has connections to other domains of quantum computation. We then extend the query selection idea to the case of multiple queries in the HSP and find examples in which this gives significant gains over the standard method. We consider the problems that the analysis of this more general problem entails, and outline a possible program to be followed. This is a part of continuing research
We study quantum algorithms for the hidden subgroup problem (HSP). The HSP provides a unified framework for many important problems, including factoring integers, graph isomorphism problem, etc. It has been known that the problem for abelian groups can be efficiently solved. However, for non-abelian groups, it remains widely open. In this dissertation we study the problem for some specific non-abelian groups, called q-hedral groups.
We start with a quantum algorithm, proposed by Moore et al. (2003), for finding some hidden conjugate subgroups of affine groups, a special case of q-hedral groups for large q. We then adapt their algorithm to construct an algorithm for solving the hidden conjugate problem for q-hedral groups for large q and point out a difficulty in complexity analysis that involves certain exponential sums. We discuss certain bounds on these sums and present some computational data on their values to make a conjecture.
For small q, Regev (2003) gave an efficient algorithm for solving the HSP for dihedral groups (q = 2) using an oracle that solves a certain subset sum problem (SSP). A crucial step of his algorithm relies on the probability that elements in a cyclic group ZN can be expressed as sums of random elements in the group. We generalize this problem to any finite group and prove the following theorem: for any finite group G and r ≥ 32 log2 |G| + 5, if r elements from G are chosen randomly, then the 2r possible sums (or products) of the r elements will cover all the elements in G with high probability. Also, by making a further generalization of the SSP, we show that Regev's algorithm can be generalized for q-hedral groups for any fixed q. We also study this generalized subset sum problem.
In addition to the algorithm developing for small q, we give an efficient quantum algorithm for solving the coset problem and an efficient quantum algorithm for solving the hidden conjugate problem. Furthermore, we also give a survey of an algorithm for finding the largest normal subgroup in a hidden subgroup of any finite group, introduced by Hallgren et al. (2000) and provide a simplified and unified proof.
The Hidden Subgroup Problem (HSP) has been widely studied in the context of quantum computing and is known to be efficiently solvable for Abelian groups, yet appears to be difficult for many non-Abelian ones. An efficient algorithm for the HSP over a group \f G\ runs in time polynomial in \f{n\deq\log|G|.} For any subgroup \f H\ of \f G, let \f{N(H)} denote the normalizer of \f H. Let \MG\ denote the intersection of all normalizers in \f G (i.e., \f{\MG=\cap_{H\leq G}N(H)}). \MG\ is always a subgroup of \f G and the index \f{[G:\MG]} can be taken as a measure of ``how non-Abelian'' \f G is (\f{[G:\MG] = 1} for Abelian groups). This measure was considered by Grigni, Schulman, Vazirani and Vazirani, who showed that whenever \f{[G:\MG]\in\exp(O(\log^{1/2}n))} the corresponding HSP can be solved efficiently (under certain assumptions). We show that whenever \f{[G:\MG]\in\poly(n)} the corresponding HSP can be solved efficiently, under the same assumptions (actually, we solve a slightly more general case of the HSP and also show that some assumptions may be relaxed).