Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1703.03993

SICs: Extending the list of solutions

Scott, A. J.

Published Mar 11, 2017• 42 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Zauner's conjecture asserts that $d^2$ equiangular lines exist in all $d$ complex dimensions. In quantum theory, the $d^2$ lines are dubbed a SIC, as they define a favoured standard informationally complete quantum measurement called a SIC-POVM. This note supplements A. J. Scott and M. Grassl [J. Math. Phys. 51 (2010), 042203] by extending the list of published numerical solutions. We provide a putative complete list of Weyl-Heisenberg covariant SICs with the known symmetries in dimensions $d\leq 90$, a single solution with Zauner's symmetry for every $d\leq 121$ and solutions with higher symmetry for $d=124,143,147,168,172,195,199,228,259$ and $323$.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.1703.03993

Related papers

A Constructive Approach to Zauner's Conjecture via the Stark Conjectures

Marcus Appleby, Steven T. Flammia, Gene S. Kopp

We propose a construction of $d^2$ complex equiangular lines in $\mathbb{C}^d$, also known as SICPOVMs, conjectured by Zauner to exist for all d. The construction gives a putatively complete list of SICs with Weyl-Heisenberg symmetry in all dimensions d > 3. Specifically, we give an explicit expression for an object we call a ghost SIC, which is constructed from the real multiplication values of a special function and which is Galois conjugate to a SIC. The special function, the Shintani-Faddeev modular cocycle, is more precisely a tuple of meromorphic functions indexed by a congruence subgroup of ${\rm SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})$. We prove our construction gives a valid SIC in every case assuming two conjectures: the order 1 abelian Stark conjecture for real quadratic fields and a special value identity for the Shintani-Faddeev modular cocycle. The former allows us to prove that the ghost and the SIC are Galois conjugate over an extension of $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrtΔ)$ where $Δ= (d+1)(d-3)$, while the latter allows us to prove idempotency of the presumptive fiducial projector. We provide computational tests of our SIC construction by cross-validating it with known solutions, particularly the extensive work of Scott and Grassl, and by constructing four numerical examples of nonequivalent SICs in d=100, three of which are new. We further consider rank-r generalizations called r-SICs given by maximal equichordal configurations of r-dimensional complex subspaces. We give similar conditional constructions for r-SICs for all r, d such that r(d-r) divides $(d^2-1)$. Finally, we study the structure of the field extensions conjecturally generated by the r-SICs. If K is any real quadratic field, then either every abelian Galois extension of K, or else every abelian extension for which 2 is unramified, is generated by our construction; the former holds for a positive density of field discriminants.

arXiv:2501.03970•Jan 7, 2025•1 citation

The SIC Question: History and State of Play

Christopher A. Fuchs, Michael Hoang, Blake C. Stacey

Recent years have seen significant advances in the study of symmetric informationally complete (SIC) quantum measurements, also known as maximal sets of complex equiangular lines. Previously, the published record contained solutions up to dimension 67, and was with high confidence complete up through dimension 50. Computer calculations have now furnished solutions in all dimensions up to 151, and in several cases beyond that, as large as dimension 844. These new solutions exhibit an additional type of symmetry beyond the basic definition of a SIC, and so verify a conjecture of Zauner in many new cases. The solutions in dimensions 68 through 121 were obtained by Andrew Scott, and his catalogue of distinct solutions is, with high confidence, complete up to dimension 90. Additional results in dimensions 122 through 151 were calculated by the authors using Scott’s code. We recap the history of the problem, outline how the numerical searches were done, and pose some conjectures on how the search technique could be improved. In order to facilitate communication across disciplinary boundaries, we also present a comprehensive bibliography of SIC research.

arXiv:1703.07901•Axioms•Jul 18, 2017•247 citations

Symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures: A new computer study

A. J. Scott, Markus Grassl

We report on a new computer study of the existence of d2 equiangular lines in d complex dimensions. Such maximal complex projective codes are conjectured to exist in all finite dimensions and are the underlying mathematical objects defining symmetric informationally complete measurements in quantum theory. We provide numerical solutions in all dimensions d≤67 and, moreover, a putatively complete list of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant solutions for d≤50. A symmetry analysis of this list leads to new algebraic solutions in dimensions d=24, 35, and 48, which are given together with algebraic solutions for d=4,…,15, and 19.

arXiv:0910.5784•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Apr 1, 2010•300 citations

SIC-POVMs and orders of real quadratic fields

Gene S. Kopp, Jeffrey C. Lagarias

This paper concerns SIC-POVMs and their relationship to class field theory. SIC-POVMs are generalized quantum measurements (POVMs) described by d 2 equiangular complex lines through the origin in C d . Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs are those SIC-POVMs described by the orbit a single vector under a finite Weyl–Heisenberg group WH ( d ) . We relate known data on the structure and classification of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs in low dimensions to arithmetic data attached to certain orders of real quadratic fields. For 4 ≤ d ≤ 90 , we show the number of known geometric equivalence classes of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs in dimension d equals the cardinality of the ideal class monoid of (not necessarily invertible) ideal classes in the real quadratic order O Δ d of discriminant Δ d = ( d + 1 ) ( d − 3 ) ; we conjecture the equality extends to all d ≥ 4 . We prove that this conjecture implies the existence of more than one geometric equivalence class of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs for every d > 22 . We conjecture that Galois multiplets of SICs may be put in one-to-one correspondence with the over-orders O ′ of O Δ d in such a way that the number of geometric classes in the multiplet equals the ring class number of O ′ . We test that conjecture against known data on exact SICs in low dimensions. We refine the “class field hypothesis” of Appleby, Flammia, McConnell, and Yard [8] to predict the exact class field over Q ( Δ d ) generated by the ratios of vector entries for the equiangular lines defining a Weyl–Heisenberg SIC. The refined conjectures use a recently developed class field theory for orders of number fields [36] . The refined class fields assigned to over-orders O ′ have a natural partial order under inclusion; the inclusions of these class fields fail to be strict in some cases. We characterize such cases and give a table of them for d < 500 .

arXiv:2407.08048•Journal of Number Theory•Jul 17, 2026•0 citations

Asymmetric SICs over finite fields

Joseph W. Iverson, Dustin G. Mixon

Zauner's conjecture concerns the existence of $d^2$ equiangular lines in $\mathbb{C}^d$; such a system of lines is known as a SIC. In this paper, we construct infinitely many new SICs over finite fields. While all previously known SICs exhibit Weyl--Heisenberg symmetry, some of our new SICs exhibit trivial automorphism groups. We conjecture that such \textit{totally asymmetric} SICs exist in infinitely many dimensions in the finite field setting.

arXiv:2506.20778•Jun 25, 2025•0 citations

Some non-standard ways to generate SIC-POVMs in dimensions 2 and 3

Gary McConnell

The notion of Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator-Valued Measures (SIC-POVMs) arose in physics as a kind of optimal measurement basis for quantum systems. However the question of their existence is equivalent to that of the existence of a maximal set of \emph{complex equiangular lines}. That is to say, given a complex Hilbert space of dimension $d$, what is the maximal number of (complex) lines one can find which all make a common (real) angle with one another, in the sense that the inner products between unit vectors spanning those lines all have a common absolute value? A maximal set would consist of $d^2$ lines all with a common angle of $\arccos{\frac{1}{\sqrt{d+1}}}$. The same question has been posed in the real case and some partial answers are known. But at the time of writing no unifying theoretical result has been found in the real or the complex case: some sporadic low-dimensional numerical constructions have been converted into algebraic solutions but beyond this very little is known. It is conjectured that such structures always arise as orbits of certain fiducial vectors under the action of the Weyl (or generalised Pauli) group. In this paper we point out some new construction methods in the lowest dimensions ($d=2$ and $d=3$). We should mention that the SIC-POVMs so constructed are all unitarily equivalent to previously known SIC-POVMs.

arXiv:1402.7330•Feb 28, 2014•1 citation
Zauner's conjecture asserts that d2d^2d2 equiangular lines exist in all ddd complex dimensions. In quantum theory, the d2d^2d2 lines are dubbed a SIC, as they define a favoured standard informationally complete quantum measurement called a SIC-POVM. This note supplements A. J. Scott and M. Grassl [J. Math. Phys. 51 (2010), 042203] by extending the list of published numerical solutions. We provide a putative complete list of Weyl-Heisenberg covariant SICs with the known symmetries in dimensions d≤90d\leq 90d≤90, a single solution with Zauner's symmetry for every d≤121d\leq 121d≤121 and solutions with higher symmetry for d=124,143,147,168,172,195,199,228,259d=124,143,147,168,172,195,199,228,259d=124,143,147,168,172,195,199,228,259 and 323323323.
We propose a construction of d2d^2d2 complex equiangular lines in Cd\mathbb{C}^dCd, also known as SICPOVMs, conjectured by Zauner to exist for all d. The construction gives a putatively complete list of SICs with Weyl-Heisenberg symmetry in all dimensions d > 3. Specifically, we give an explicit expression for an object we call a ghost SIC, which is constructed from the real multiplication values of a special function and which is Galois conjugate to a SIC. The special function, the Shintani-Faddeev modular cocycle, is more precisely a tuple of meromorphic functions indexed by a congruence subgroup of SL2(Z){\rm SL}_2(\mathbb{Z})SL2​(Z). We prove our construction gives a valid SIC in every case assuming two conjectures: the order 1 abelian Stark conjecture for real quadratic fields and a special value identity for the Shintani-Faddeev modular cocycle. The former allows us to prove that the ghost and the SIC are Galois conjugate over an extension of Q(Δ)\mathbb{Q}(\sqrtΔ)Q(Δ​) where Δ=(d+1)(d−3)Δ= (d+1)(d-3)Δ=(d+1)(d−3), while the latter allows us to prove idempotency of the presumptive fiducial projector. We provide computational tests of our SIC construction by cross-validating it with known solutions, particularly the extensive work of Scott and Grassl, and by constructing four numerical examples of nonequivalent SICs in d=100, three of which are new. We further consider rank-r generalizations called r-SICs given by maximal equichordal configurations of r-dimensional complex subspaces. We give similar conditional constructions for r-SICs for all r, d such that r(d-r) divides (d2−1)(d^2-1)(d2−1). Finally, we study the structure of the field extensions conjecturally generated by the r-SICs. If K is any real quadratic field, then either every abelian Galois extension of K, or else every abelian extension for which 2 is unramified, is generated by our construction; the former holds for a positive density of field discriminants.
Recent years have seen significant advances in the study of symmetric informationally complete (SIC) quantum measurements, also known as maximal sets of complex equiangular lines. Previously, the published record contained solutions up to dimension 67, and was with high confidence complete up through dimension 50. Computer calculations have now furnished solutions in all dimensions up to 151, and in several cases beyond that, as large as dimension 844. These new solutions exhibit an additional type of symmetry beyond the basic definition of a SIC, and so verify a conjecture of Zauner in many new cases. The solutions in dimensions 68 through 121 were obtained by Andrew Scott, and his catalogue of distinct solutions is, with high confidence, complete up to dimension 90. Additional results in dimensions 122 through 151 were calculated by the authors using Scott’s code. We recap the history of the problem, outline how the numerical searches were done, and pose some conjectures on how the search technique could be improved. In order to facilitate communication across disciplinary boundaries, we also present a comprehensive bibliography of SIC research.
We report on a new computer study of the existence of d2 equiangular lines in d complex dimensions. Such maximal complex projective codes are conjectured to exist in all finite dimensions and are the underlying mathematical objects defining symmetric informationally complete measurements in quantum theory. We provide numerical solutions in all dimensions d≤67 and, moreover, a putatively complete list of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant solutions for d≤50. A symmetry analysis of this list leads to new algebraic solutions in dimensions d=24, 35, and 48, which are given together with algebraic solutions for d=4,…,15, and 19.
This paper concerns SIC-POVMs and their relationship to class field theory. SIC-POVMs are generalized quantum measurements (POVMs) described by d 2 equiangular complex lines through the origin in C d . Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs are those SIC-POVMs described by the orbit a single vector under a finite Weyl–Heisenberg group WH ( d ) . We relate known data on the structure and classification of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs in low dimensions to arithmetic data attached to certain orders of real quadratic fields. For 4 ≤ d ≤ 90 , we show the number of known geometric equivalence classes of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs in dimension d equals the cardinality of the ideal class monoid of (not necessarily invertible) ideal classes in the real quadratic order O Δ d of discriminant Δ d = ( d + 1 ) ( d − 3 ) ; we conjecture the equality extends to all d ≥ 4 . We prove that this conjecture implies the existence of more than one geometric equivalence class of Weyl–Heisenberg covariant SICs for every d > 22 . We conjecture that Galois multiplets of SICs may be put in one-to-one correspondence with the over-orders O ′ of O Δ d in such a way that the number of geometric classes in the multiplet equals the ring class number of O ′ . We test that conjecture against known data on exact SICs in low dimensions. We refine the “class field hypothesis” of Appleby, Flammia, McConnell, and Yard [8] to predict the exact class field over Q ( Δ d ) generated by the ratios of vector entries for the equiangular lines defining a Weyl–Heisenberg SIC. The refined conjectures use a recently developed class field theory for orders of number fields [36] . The refined class fields assigned to over-orders O ′ have a natural partial order under inclusion; the inclusions of these class fields fail to be strict in some cases. We characterize such cases and give a table of them for d < 500 .
Zauner's conjecture concerns the existence of d2d^2d2 equiangular lines in Cd\mathbb{C}^dCd; such a system of lines is known as a SIC. In this paper, we construct infinitely many new SICs over finite fields. While all previously known SICs exhibit Weyl--Heisenberg symmetry, some of our new SICs exhibit trivial automorphism groups. We conjecture that such \textit{totally asymmetric} SICs exist in infinitely many dimensions in the finite field setting.
The notion of Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator-Valued Measures (SIC-POVMs) arose in physics as a kind of optimal measurement basis for quantum systems. However the question of their existence is equivalent to that of the existence of a maximal set of \emph{complex equiangular lines}. That is to say, given a complex Hilbert space of dimension ddd, what is the maximal number of (complex) lines one can find which all make a common (real) angle with one another, in the sense that the inner products between unit vectors spanning those lines all have a common absolute value? A maximal set would consist of d2d^2d2 lines all with a common angle of arccos⁡1d+1\arccos{\frac{1}{\sqrt{d+1}}}arccosd+1​1​. The same question has been posed in the real case and some partial answers are known. But at the time of writing no unifying theoretical result has been found in the real or the complex case: some sporadic low-dimensional numerical constructions have been converted into algebraic solutions but beyond this very little is known. It is conjectured that such structures always arise as orbits of certain fiducial vectors under the action of the Weyl (or generalised Pauli) group. In this paper we point out some new construction methods in the lowest dimensions (d=2d=2d=2 and d=3d=3d=3). We should mention that the SIC-POVMs so constructed are all unitarily equivalent to previously known SIC-POVMs.