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arXiv:2110.08346 · IEEE Aerospace Conference (AERO)

Implementation of a Multiple Target Tracking Filter on an Adiabatic Quantum Computer

Timothy M. McCormick, Bryan R. Osborn, Robert Blair Angle, Roy L. Streit

Published Mar 5, 2022• 6 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Recent work at Fraunhofer FKIE shows that More-field's method for multiple target data association can in theory be solved on an adiabatic quantum computer. The present paper validates the theory and examines the significant limitations of currently available adiabatic quantum computers for solving the data association problem. The limitations of such architectures are both theoretical and practical in nature, and both are discussed. The data association problem is formulated as a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) problem; consequently, much of the discussion is relevant to other applications which are, or can be, posed as QUBO problems.

DOI
10.1109/aero53065.2022.9843451

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Quantum computing promises significant improvements of computation capabilities in various fields such as machine learning and complex optimization problems. Recent technological advancements suggest that the adiabatic quantum computing ansatz may soon see practical applications. In this work, we adopt this computation paradigm to develop a quantum computation based solver of the well–known weapon target assignment problem, an NP-hard nonlinear integer programming optimization task. The feasibility of the presented model is demonstrated by numerical simulation of the adiabatic evolution of a system of quantum bits towards the optimal solution encoded in the model Hamiltonian. Overall, the described method is not limited to the context of weapon management but is, with slight modifications to the model Hamiltonian, applicable to relevant problems in data fusion, for example sensor allocation and multi-target data association in tracking applications.
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This tutorial offers a quick, hands-on introduction to solving Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) models on currently available quantum computers and their simulators. We cover both IBM and D-Wave machines: IBM utilizes a gate-circuit architecture, and D-Wave is a quantum annealer. We provide examples of three canonical problems and two models from practical applications. The tutorial is structured to bridge the gap between theory and practice: we begin with an overview of QUBOs, explain their relevance and connection to quantum algorithms, introduce key quantum computing concepts, provide the foundations for two quantum heuristics, and provide detailed implementation guides. An associated GitHub repository provides the codes in five companion notebooks. In addition to reaching undergraduate and graduate students in computationally intensive disciplines, this article aims to reach working industry professionals seeking to explore the potential of near-term quantum applications. As our title indicates, this tutorial is intended to be a starting point in a journey towards solving more complex QUBOs on quantum computers.
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Quantum computing promises significant improvements of computation capabilities in various fields such as machine learning and complex optimization problems. Recent technological advancements suggest that the adiabatic quantum computing ansatz may soon see practical applications. In this work, we adopt this computation paradigm to develop a quantum computation based solver of the well-known multi-target data association (MTDA) problem, a complex nonlinear integer programming optimization task. The feasibility of the presented model is demonstrated by numerical simulation of the adiabatic evolution of a system of quantum bits towards the optimal solution encoded in the model Hamiltonian.