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arXiv:2408.01762

Investigation on a quantum algorithm for linear differential equations

Xiaojing Dong, Peng, Yizhe, Qili Tang, Yang, Yin, Yue Yu

Published Aug 3, 2024• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Ref.[BCOW17] introduced a pioneering quantum approach (coined BCOW algorithm) for solving linear differential equations with optimal error tolerance. Originally designed for a specific class of diagonalizable linear differential equations, the algorithm was extended by Krovi in [Kro23] to encompass broader classes, including non-diagonalizable and even singular matrices. Despite the common misconception, the original algorithm is indeed applicable to non-diagonalizable matrices, with diagonalisation primarily serving for theoretical analyses to establish bounds on condition number and solution error. By leveraging basic estimates from [Kro23], we derive bounds comparable to those outlined in the Krovi algorithm, thereby reinstating the advantages of the BCOW approach. Furthermore, we extend the BCOW algorithm to address time-dependent linear differential equations by transforming non-autonomous systems into higher-dimensional autonomous ones, a technique also applicable for the Krovi algorithm.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2408.01762

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Ref.[BCOW17] introduced a pioneering quantum approach (coined BCOW algorithm) for solving linear differential equations with optimal error tolerance. Originally designed for a specific class of diagonalizable linear differential equations, the algorithm was extended by Krovi in [Kro23] to encompass broader classes, including non-diagonalizable and even singular matrices. Despite the common misconception, the original algorithm is indeed applicable to non-diagonalizable matrices, with diagonalisation primarily serving for theoretical analyses to establish bounds on condition number and solution error. By leveraging basic estimates from [Kro23], we derive bounds comparable to those outlined in the Krovi algorithm, thereby reinstating the advantages of the BCOW approach. Furthermore, we extend the BCOW algorithm to address time-dependent linear differential equations by transforming non-autonomous systems into higher-dimensional autonomous ones, a technique also applicable for the Krovi algorithm.
We present substantially generalized and improved quantum algorithms over prior work for inhomogeneous linear and nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODE). Specifically, we show how the norm of the matrix exponential characterizes the run time of quantum algorithms for linear ODEs opening the door to an application to a wider class of linear and nonlinear ODEs. In \cite{BCOW17}, a quantum algorithm for a certain class of linear ODEs is given, where the matrix involved needs to be diagonalizable. The quantum algorithm for linear ODEs presented here extends to many classes of non-diagonalizable matrices including singular matrices. The algorithm here is also exponentially faster than the bounds derived in \cite{BCOW17} for certain classes of diagonalizable matrices. Our linear ODE algorithm is then applied to nonlinear differential equations using Carleman linearization (an approach taken recently by us in \cite{Liue2026805118}). The improvement over that result is two-fold. First, we obtain an exponentially better dependence on error. This kind of logarithmic dependence on error has also been achieved by \cite{Xue_2021}, but only for homogeneous nonlinear equations. Second, the present algorithm can handle any sparse matrix (that models dissipation) if it has a negative log-norm (including non-diagonalizable matrices), whereas \cite{Liue2026805118} and \cite{Xue_2021} additionally require normality.
Quantum algorithms offer an exponential advantage with respect to the number of dependent variables for solving certain nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). These algorithms typically begin by transforming the original nonlinear ODE into a higher-dimensional linear ODE using a linearization technique, most commonly Carleman linearization. Existing works restrict their analysis to ODEs where the nonlinearities are polynomial functions of the dependent variables, significantly limiting their applicability. In this work we construct an efficient quantum algorithm for solving ODEs with `Fourier' nonlinear terms expressible as du/dt=G0+G1eiud{\bf u}/dt = G_0 + G_1 e^{i{\bf u}}du/dt=G0​+G1​eiu, where u{\bf u}u denotes a vector of nnn complex variables evolving with ttt, G0G_0G0​ is an nnn-dimensional complex vector, G1G_1G1​ is an n×nn \times nn×n complex matrix and eiue^{i{\bf u}}eiu denotes the vector with entries {eiuj}\{e^{iu_j}\}{eiuj​}. To tackle the Fourier nonlinear term, which is not expressible as a finite sum of polynomials of u{\bf u}u, our algorithm employs a generalization of the Carleman linearization technique known as Koopman linearization. We also make other methodological advances towards relaxing the stringent dissipativity condition required for efficient solution extraction and towards integrated readout of classical quantities from the solution state. Our results open avenues to the development of efficient quantum algorithms for a significantly wider class of high-dimensional nonlinear ODEs, thereby broadening the scope of their applications.
We present an efficient, nearly optimal quantum algorithm for solving linear matrix differential equations, with applications to the simulation of open quantum systems and beyond. For unitary or dissipative dynamics, the algorithm computes an entry of the solution matrix with query complexity O~(νLt/ε)\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}(ν\mathcal{L} t/ε)O(νLt/ε), where the constant ννν depends on the problem parameters, L\mathcal{L}L involves a time integral of upper bounds on the norms of evolution operators, and εεε is the error. In particular, νLν\mathcal{L}νL is linear in ttt for unitary dynamics and can be a constant for dissipative dynamics. Our result contrasts prior quantum approaches for differential equations that typically require exponential time for this problem due to the encoding in a quantum state, which can lead to exponentially small amplitudes. We demonstrate the utility of the algorithm through an end-to-end application, namely the simulation of dissipative dynamics for non-interacting fermions, which can be extended to other quantum and classical systems. We compare with classical algorithms and give evidence of polynomial quantum speedups for systems in a lattice, which become more pronounced for systems with long-range interactions and can be shown to be exponential in general. We also provide a lower bound of Ω(νLt/ε)Ω(ν\mathcal{L} t/ε)Ω(νLt/ε) for unitary or dissipative dynamics that proves our algorithm is optimal up to logarithmic factors.
Solving linear systems of equations plays a fundamental role in numerous computational problems from different fields of science. The widespread use of numerical methods to solve these systems motivates investigating the feasibility of solving linear systems problems using quantum computers. In this work, we provide a survey of the main advances in quantum linear systems algorithms, together with some applications. We summarize and analyze the main ideas behind some of the algorithms for the quantum linear systems problem in the literature. The analysis begins by examining the Harrow-Hassidim-Lloyd (HHL) solver. We note its limitations and reliance on computationally expensive quantum methods, then highlight subsequent research efforts which aimed to address these limitations and optimize runtime efficiency and precision via various paradigms. We focus in particular on the post-HHL enhancements which have paved the way towards optimal lower bounds with respect to error tolerance and condition number. By doing so, we propose a taxonomy that categorizes these studies. Furthermore, by contextualizing these developments within the broader landscape of quantum computing, we explore the foundational work that have inspired and informed their development, as well as subsequent refinements. Finally, we discuss the potential applications of these algorithms in differential equations, quantum machine learning, and many-body physics.
Time-dependent linear differential equations are a common type of problem that needs to be solved in classical physics. Here we provide a quantum algorithm for solving time-dependent linear differential equations with logarithmic dependence of the complexity on the error and derivative. As usual, there is an exponential improvement over classical approaches in the scaling of the complexity with the dimension, with the caveat that the solution is encoded in the amplitudes of a quantum state. Our method is to encode the Dyson series in a system of linear equations, then solve via the optimal quantum linear equation solver. Our method also provides a simplified approach in the case of time-independent differential equations.
Quantum algorithms for Hamiltonian simulation and linear differential equations more generally have provided promising exponential speed-ups over classical computers on a set of problems with high real-world interest. However, extending this to a nonlinear problem has proven challenging, with exponential lower bounds having been demonstrated for the time scaling. We provide a quantum algorithm matching these bounds. Specifically, we find that for a non-linear differential equation of the form d|u⟩dt=A|u⟩+B|u⟩⊗2 for evolution of time T , error tolerance ϵ and c dependent on the strength of the nonlinearity, the number of queries to the differential operators that approaches the scaling of the quantum lower bound of eo(T‖B‖) queries in the limit of strong non-linearity. Finally, we introduce a classical algorithm based on the Euler method allowing comparably scaling to the quantum algorithm in a restricted case, as well as a randomized classical algorithm based on path integration that acts as a true analogue to the quantum algorithm in that it scales comparably to the quantum algorithm in cases where sign problems are absent.