The class QMA plays a fundamental role in quantum complexity theory and it has found surprising connections to condensed matter physics and in particular in the study of the minimum energy of quantum systems.In this paper, we further investigate the class QMA and its related class QCMA by asking what makes quantum witnesses potentially more powerful than classical ones.We provide a definition of a new class, SQMA, where we restrict the possible quantum witnesses to the "simpler" subset states, i.e. a uniform superposition over the elements of a subset of n-bit strings.Surprisingly, we prove that this class is equal to QMA, hence providing a new characterisation of the class QMA.We also prove the analogous result for QMA(2) and describe a new complete problem for QMA and a stronger lower bound for the class QMA 1 .The class QMA plays a fundamental role in quantum complexity theory and it has found surprising connections to condensed matter physics and in particular in the study of the minimum energy of quantum systems.In this paper, we further investigate the class QMA and its related class QCMA by asking what makes quantum witnesses potentially more powerful than classical ones.We provide a definition of a new class, SQMA, where we restrict the possible quantum witnesses to the "simpler" subset states, i.e. a uniform superposition over the elements of a subset of n-bit strings.Surprisingly, we prove that this class is equal to QMA, hence providing a new characterisation of the class QMA.We also prove the analogous result for QMA(2) and describe a new complete problem for QMA and a stronger lower bound for the class QMA 1 .

Chicago Journal of Theoretical Computer ScienceJan 1, 20163 citations

Disturbed witnesses in quantum complexity theory

Friederike Anna Dziemba

QMA is the complexity class of computational problems that are efficiently verifiable by a quantum algorithm with the help of a witness in contrast to the smaller class BQP of problems efficiently solvable by a quantum algorithm without a witness. Like their classical counterparts NP and P, the class QMA is believed to be strictly larger than BQP, but the definitive answer remains one of the most fundamental open problems of complexity theory. An equality of QMA and BQP would imply that quantum computers can solve many physically and logically relevant problems efficiently, including the Local Hamiltonian problem and the Satisfiability problem for Boolean formulas. New approaches to gain more insight into the structure of BQP and QMA as well as which witness forms are sufficient for QMA are hence worth pursuing. This thesis comprises three research focuses: Firstly, we extend the uniform diagonalization theorem to complexity classes of promise problems in order to construct strictly intermediate problems between QMA and BQP under the assumption that these classes are unequal. The existence of strictly intermediate problems motivates our definition of noisy QMA classes, which form hierarchies of intermediate classes between QMA and BQP by restricting the witnesses to outputs of certain quantum channels. In our second research focus we apply the tool of concatenated coding to prove a bound on the witness noise up to which QMA stays robust. Besides a bound for general i.i.d. channels, we can prove that QMA stays robust if each witness qubit is disturbed by 18 % depolarizing or 27 % dephasing noise, while for complete depolarization or dephasing the noisy class obviously collapses to BQP and QCMA, respectively. In the third research focus we interpret the famous QPCP conjecture as robustness of the class QMA against high witness disturbance. Moreover, we consider a multiprover protocol by Fitzsimons and Vidick that constitutes a first step towards an important alternative formulation of the QPCP conjecture and achieve a reduction of the number of provers and an improvement of the acceptance probability for this protocol.QMA is the complexity class of computational problems that are efficiently verifiable by a quantum algorithm with the help of a witness in contrast to the smaller class BQP of problems efficiently solvable by a quantum algorithm without a witness. Like their classical counterparts NP and P, the class QMA is believed to be strictly larger than BQP, but the definitive answer remains one of the most fundamental open problems of complexity theory. An equality of QMA and BQP would imply that quantum computers can solve many physically and logically relevant problems efficiently, including the Local Hamiltonian problem and the Satisfiability problem for Boolean formulas. New approaches to gain more insight into the structure of BQP and QMA as well as which witness forms are sufficient for QMA are hence worth pursuing. This thesis comprises three research focuses: Firstly, we extend the uniform diagonalization theorem to complexity classes of promise problems in order to construct strictly intermediate problems between QMA and BQP under the assumption that these classes are unequal. The existence of strictly intermediate problems motivates our definition of noisy QMA classes, which form hierarchies of intermediate classes between QMA and BQP by restricting the witnesses to outputs of certain quantum channels. In our second research focus we apply the tool of concatenated coding to prove a bound on the witness noise up to which QMA stays robust. Besides a bound for general i.i.d. channels, we can prove that QMA stays robust if each witness qubit is disturbed by 18 % depolarizing or 27 % dephasing noise, while for complete depolarization or dephasing the noisy class obviously collapses to BQP and QCMA, respectively. In the third research focus we interpret the famous QPCP conjecture as robustness of the class QMA against high witness disturbance. Moreover, we consider a multiprover protocol by Fitzsimons and Vidick that constitutes a first step towards an important alternative formulation of the QPCP conjecture and achieve a reduction of the number of provers and an improvement of the acceptance probability for this protocol.

Jan 1, 20190 citations

On the Complexity of Quantum Languages

Elham Kashefi, Alves, Carolina Moura

The standard inputs given to a quantum machine are classical binary strings. In this view, any quantum complexity class is a collection of subsets of $\{0,1\}^{*}$ . However, a quantum machine can also accept quantum states as its input. T. Yamakami has introduced a general framework for quantum operators and inputs \cite{Yam02}. In this paper we present several quantum languages within this model and by generalizing the complexity classes QMA and QCMA we analyze the complexity of the introduced languages. We also discuss how to derive a classical language from a given quantum language and as a result we introduce new QCMA and QMA languages.The standard inputs given to a quantum machine are classical binary strings. In this view, any quantum complexity class is a collection of subsets of $\{0,1\}^{*}$. However, a quantum machine can also accept quantum states as its input. T. Yamakami has introduced a general framework for quantum operators and inputs \cite{Yam02}. In this paper we present several quantum languages within this model and by generalizing the complexity classes QMA and QCMA we analyze the complexity of the introduced languages. We also discuss how to derive a classical language from a given quantum language and as a result we introduce new QCMA and QMA languages.

arXiv:quant-ph/0404062Apr 12, 20040 citations

Two QCMA-complete problems

Paweł Wocjan, Dominik Janzing, T. Beth

QMA and QCMA are possible quantum analogues of the complexity class NP. In QMA the proof is a quantum state and the verification is a quantum circuit. In contrast, in QCMA the proof is restricted to be a classical state. It is not known whether QMA strictly contains QCMA. Here we show that two known QMA-complete problems can be modified to QCMA-complete problems in a natural way: (1) Deciding whether a 3-local Hamiltonian has low energy states (with energy smaller than a given value) that can be prepared with at most k elementary gates is QCMA-complete, whereas it is QMA-complete when the restriction on the complexity of preparation is dropped. (2) Deciding whether a (classically described) quantum circuit does not act as the identity on all basis states is QCMA-complete. It is QMA-complete to decide whether it does not act on all states as the identity.QMA and QCMA are possible quantum analogues of the complexity class NP. In QMA the proof is a quantum state and the verification is a quantum circuit. In contrast, in QCMA the proof is restricted to be a classical state. It is not known whether QMA strictly contains QCMA. Here we show that two known QMA-complete problems can be modified to QCMA-complete problems in a natural way: (1) Deciding whether a 3-local Hamiltonian has low energy states (with energy smaller than a given value) that can be prepared with at most k elementary gates is QCMA-complete, whereas it is QMA-complete when the restriction on the complexity of preparation is dropped. (2) Deciding whether a (classically described) quantum circuit does not act as the identity on all basis states is QCMA-complete. It is QMA-complete to decide whether it does not act on all states as the identity.

arXiv:quant-ph/0305090Quantum Information and ComputationNov 1, 200318 citations

Quantum Proofs

Thomas Vidick, John Watrous

Quantum information and computation provide a fascinating twist on the notion of proofs in computational complexity theory. For instance, one may consider a quantum computational analogue of the complexity class NP, known as QMA, in which a quantum state plays the role of a proof (also called a certificate or witness), and is checked by a polynomial-time quantum computation. For some problems, the fact that a quantum proof state could be a superposition over exponentially many classical states appears to offer computational advantages over classical proof strings. In the interactive proof system setting, one may consider a verifier and one or more provers that exchange and process quantum information rather than classical information during an interaction for a given input string, giving rise to quantum complexity classes such as QIP, QSZK, and QMIP* that represent natural quantum analogues of IP, SZK, and MIP. While quantum interactive proof systems inherit some properties from their classical counterparts, they also possess distinct and uniquely quantum features that lead to an interesting landscape of complexity classes based on variants of this model. In this survey we provide an overview of many of the known results concerning quantum proofs, computational models based on this concept, and properties of the complexity classes they define. In particular, we discuss non-interactive proofs and the complexity class QMA, single-prover quantum interactive proof systems and the complexity class QIP, statistical zero-knowledge quantum interactive proof systems and the complexity class QSZK, and multiprover interactive proof systems and the complexity classes QMIP, QMIP*, and MIP*.Quantum information and computation provide a fascinating twist on the notion of proofs in computational complexity theory. For instance, one may consider a quantum computational analogue of the complexity class NP, known as QMA, in which a quantum state plays the role of a proof (also called a certificate or witness), and is checked by a polynomial-time quantum computation. For some problems, the fact that a quantum proof state could be a superposition over exponentially many classical states appears to offer computational advantages over classical proof strings. In the interactive proof system setting, one may consider a verifier and one or more provers that exchange and process quantum information rather than classical information during an interaction for a given input string, giving rise to quantum complexity classes such as QIP, QSZK, and QMIP* that represent natural quantum analogues of IP, SZK, and MIP. While quantum interactive proof systems inherit some properties from their classical counterparts, they also possess distinct and uniquely quantum features that lead to an interesting landscape of complexity classes based on variants of this model. In this survey we provide an overview of many of the known results concerning quantum proofs, computational models based on this concept, and properties of the complexity classes they define. In particular, we discuss non-interactive proofs and the complexity class QMA, single-prover quantum interactive proof systems and the complexity class QIP, statistical zero-knowledge quantum interactive proof systems and the complexity class QSZK, and multiprover interactive proof systems and the complexity classes QMIP, QMIP*, and MIP*.

arXiv:1610.01664Foundations and Trends® in Theoretical Computer ScienceMar 31, 201644 citations

Toward Separating QMA from QCMA with a Classical Oracle

Mark Zhandry

QMA is the class of languages that can be decided by an efficient quantum verifier given a quantum witness, whereas QCMA is the class of such languages where the efficient quantum verifier only is given a classical witness. A challenging fundamental goal in quantum query complexity is to find a classical oracle separation for these classes. In this work, we offer a new approach towards proving such a separation that is qualitatively different than prior work, and show that our approach is sound assuming a natural statistical conjecture which may have other applications to quantum query complexity lower bounds.QMA is the class of languages that can be decided by an efficient quantum verifier given a quantum witness, whereas QCMA is the class of such languages where the efficient quantum verifier only is given a classical witness. A challenging fundamental goal in quantum query complexity is to find a classical oracle separation for these classes. In this work, we offer a new approach towards proving such a separation that is qualitatively different than prior work, and show that our approach is sound assuming a natural statistical conjecture which may have other applications to quantum query complexity lower bounds.

Jan 1, 20250 citations

_1

The standard inputs given to a quantum machine are classical binary strings. In this view, any quantum complexity class is a collection of subsets of

\{0,1\}^{*}

. However, a quantum machine can also accept quantum states as its input. T. Yamakami has introduced a general framework for quantum operators and inputs \cite{Yam02}. In this paper we present several quantum languages within this model and by generalizing the complexity classes QMA and QCMA we analyze the complexity of the introduced languages. We also discuss how to derive a classical language from a given quantum language and as a result we introduce new QCMA and QMA languages.