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arXiv:2004.10893 · Mathematical Programming

Graph isomorphism: physical resources, optimization models, and algebraic characterizations

Laura Mančinska, David E. Roberson, Antonios Varvitsiotis

Published Jul 14, 2023• 5 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract In the (G, H)-isomorphism game, a verifier interacts with two non-communicating players (called provers), by privately sending each of them a random vertex from either G or H. The goal of the players is to convince the verifier that the graphs G and H are isomorphic. In recent work along with Atserias et al. (J Comb Theory Ser B 136:89–328, 2019) we showed that a verifier can be convinced that two non-isomorphic graphs are isomorphic, if the provers are allowed to share quantum resources. In this paper we model classical and quantum graph isomorphism by linear constraints over certain complicated convex cones, which we then relax to a pair of tractable convex models (semidefinite programs). Our main result is a complete algebraic characterization of the corresponding equivalence relations on graphs in terms of appropriate matrix algebras. Our techniques are an interesting mix of algebra, combinatorics, optimization, and quantum information.

DOI
10.1007/s10107-023-01989-7

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Abstract In the (G, H)-isomorphism game, a verifier interacts with two non-communicating players (called provers), by privately sending each of them a random vertex from either G or H. The goal of the players is to convince the verifier that the graphs G and H are isomorphic. In recent work along with Atserias et al. (J Comb Theory Ser B 136:89–328, 2019) we showed that a verifier can be convinced that two non-isomorphic graphs are isomorphic, if the provers are allowed to share quantum resources. In this paper we model classical and quantum graph isomorphism by linear constraints over certain complicated convex cones, which we then relax to a pair of tractable convex models (semidefinite programs). Our main result is a complete algebraic characterization of the corresponding equivalence relations on graphs in terms of appropriate matrix algebras. Our techniques are an interesting mix of algebra, combinatorics, optimization, and quantum information.
We introduce a nonlocal game that captures and extends the notion of graph isomorphism. This game can be won in the classical case if and only if the two input graphs are isomorphic. Thus, by considering quantum strategies we are able to define the notion of quantum isomorphism. We also consider the case of more general non-signalling strategies, and show that such a strategy exists if and only if the graphs are fractionally isomorphic. We prove several necessary conditions for quantum isomorphism, including cospectrality, and provide a construction for producing pairs of non-isomorphic graphs that are quantum isomorphic. We then show that both classical and quantum isomorphism can be reformulated as feasibility programs over the completely positive and completely positive semidefinite cones respectively. This leads us to considering relaxations of (quantum) isomorphism arrived at by relaxing the cone to either the doubly nonnegative (DNN) or positive semidefinite (PSD) cones. We show that DNN-isomorphism is equivalent to the previous defined notion of graph equivalence, a polynomial-time decidable relation that is related to coherent algebras. We also show that PSD-isomorphism implies several types of cospectrality, and that it is equivalent to cospectrality for connected 1-walk-regular graphs. Finally, we show that all of the above mentioned relations form a strict hierarchy of weaker and weaker relations, with non-singalling/fractional isomorphism being the weakest. The techniques used are an interesting mix of algebra, combinatorics, and quantum information.
We classify instances of quantum pseudo-telepathy in the graph isomorphism game, exploiting the recently discovered connection between quantum information and the theory of quantum automorphism groups. Specifically, we show that graphs quantum isomorphic to a given graph are in bijective correspondence with Morita equivalence classes of certain Frobenius algebras in the category of finite-dimensional representations of the quantum automorphism algebra of that graph. We show that such a Frobenius algebra may be constructed from a central type subgroup of the classical automorphism group, whose action on the graph has coisotropic vertex stabilisers. In particular, if the original graph has no quantum symmetries, quantum isomorphic graphs are classified by such subgroups. We show that all quantum isomorphic graph pairs corresponding to a well-known family of binary constraint systems arise from this group-theoretical construction. We use our classification to show that, of the small order vertex-transitive graphs with no quantum symmetry, none is quantum isomorphic to a non-isomorphic graph. We show that this is in fact asymptotically almost surely true of all graphs.
Mančinska and Roberson [FOCS'20] showed that two graphs are quantum isomorphic if and only if they are homomorphism indistinguishable over the class of planar graphs. Atserias et al. [JCTB'19] proved that quantum isomorphism is undecidable in general. The NPA hierarchy gives a sequence of semidefinite programming relaxations of quantum isomorphism. Recently, Roberson and Seppelt [ICALP'23] obtained a homomorphism indistinguishability characterization of the feasibility of each level of the Lasserre hierarchy of semidefinite programming relaxations of graph isomorphism. We prove a quantum analogue of this result by showing that each level of the NPA hierarchy of SDP relaxations for quantum isomorphism of graphs is equivalent to homomorphism indistinguishability over an appropriate class of planar graphs. By combining the convergence of the NPA hierarchy with the fact that the union of these graph classes is the set of all planar graphs, we are able to give a new proof of the result of Mančinska and Roberson [FOCS'20] that avoids the use of the theory of quantum groups. This homomorphism indistinguishability characterization also allows us to give a randomized polynomial-time algorithm deciding exact feasibility of each fixed level of the NPA hierarchy of SDP relaxations for quantum isomorphism.
Mančinska and Roberson [FOCS'20] showed that two graphs are quantum isomorphic if and only if they admit the same number of homomorphisms from any planar graph. Atserias et al. [JCTB'19] proved that quantum isomorphism is undecidable in general, which motivates the study of its relaxations. In the classical setting, Roberson and Seppelt [ICALP'23] characterized the feasibility of each level of the Lasserre hierarchy of semidefinite programming relaxations of graph isomorphism in terms of equality of homomorphism counts from an appropriate graph class. The NPA hierarchy, a noncommutative generalization of the Lasserre hierarchy, provides a sequence of semidefinite programming relaxations for quantum isomorphism. In the quantum setting, we show that the feasibility of each level of the NPA hierarchy for quantum isomorphism is equivalent to equality of homomorphism counts from an appropriate class of planar graphs. Combining this characterization with the convergence of the NPA hierarchy, and noting that the union of these classes is the set of all planar graphs, we obtain a new proof of the result of Mančinska and Roberson [FOCS'20] that avoids the use of quantum groups. Moreover, this homomorphism indistinguishability characterization also yields a randomized polynomial-time algorithm deciding exact feasibility of each fixed level of the NPA hierarchy of SDP relaxations for quantum isomorphism.
In quantum information, nonlocal games are particularly useful for differentiating classical, quantum, and non-signalling correlations. An example of differentiation is given by the principle of no-collapse of communication complexity, which is often interpreted as necessary for a feasible physical theory. It is satisfied by quantum correlations but violated by some non-signalling ones. In this work, we investigate this principle in the context of three nonlocal games related to graph theory, starting from the well-known graph isomorphism and graph coloring games, and introducing a new game, the vertex distance game, with a parameter D∈ND\in\mathbb ND∈N, that generalizes the former two to some extent. For these three games, we prove that perfect non-signalling strategies collapse communication complexity under favorable conditions. We also define a refinement of fractional isomorphism of graphs, namely D-fractional isomorphisms, and we show that this characterizes perfect non-signalling strategies for the vertex distance game. Surprisingly, we observe that non-signalling strategies provide a finer distinction for the new game compared to classical and quantum strategies since the parameter D is visible only in the non-signalling setting.
In the past few decades, the connections between non-local games arising in quantum information theory and the theory of operator algebras have undergone a phase of significant development. Operator algebras provide a particularly fruitful framework for approaching questions of non-locality in quantum systems, as the input-output behavior of measurements on bipartite quantum systems can be encoded through noncommutative operator algebras and their state spaces. This thesis is the compilation of a series of papers, written by the author in collaboration with Ivan G. Todorov, utilizing this framework by using the theory of operator algebras and completely positive maps to study questions involving non-local games. ☐ Using the simulation paradigm from information theory, we define a quantized version of homomorphisms and isomorphisms between classical hypergraphs, generalizing quantum homomorphisms and isomorphisms of graphs from the literature. We show that these quantum homomorphisms and isomorphisms constitute pre-orders and equivalence relations, respectively. We use quantum homomorphisms of hypergraphs to provide multiple examples of strict separation between correlation classes of varying types. Specializing to the case when our underlying hypergraphs arise from classical non-local games, we define quantum non-local game homomorphisms and isomorphisms. We also show how the existence of a homomorphism or isomorphism of some fixed type between games is reflected in a comparison of optimal and asymptotic game values with respect to this type. These non-local game homomorphisms are defined via a new class of non-signalling correlations which we introduce here. We develop the multivariate tensor product theory in the category of operator systems, which we then use to provide a characterization of game homomorphisms in terms of state spaces for various tensor products of canonically associated operator systems. We then apply these results to the study of synchronous non-local games, defining jointly synchronous correlations and showing how they correspond to tracial states of tensor products of C*-algebras canonically associated to each game party. ☐ We then move to a second level of quantization by proposing a "quantized" notion of hypergraphs (where "quantum" here is in the sense of a non-commutative analogue for a discrete combinatorial object), and introduce quantum homomorphisms between these quantum objects. We provide an initial foray into the properties quantum morphisms between quantum hypergraphs display, showing they satisfy analogous properties to quantum homomorphisms between classical hypergraphs. We also indicate initial connections these quantum homomorphisms between quantum hypergraphs have to the study of quantum input-output games. We end the thesis showing that homomorphisms of a local type between quantum hypergraphs is closely related, and in some cases identical, to the TRO equivalence of finite-dimensionally acting operator spaces canonically associated with each hypergraph. This suggests a quantum information theoretic approach to Morita equivalence in the category of operator spaces.