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arXiv:2610.16827

The Quantum Character Transform

Kagwe A. Muchane

quant-phmath.RTSubmitted Oct 12, 2026• Announced Oct 13, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Bastidas et al. (2025) highlighted the importance of exploiting group symmetries to reduce computational overhead and unify simulation methods across both condensed matter physics and ab initio quantum chemistry. I discuss the discrete character transform, which is the group Fourier transform restricted to $Z(\mathbb{C}[G])$, the center of the group algebra, where class functions form a commutative convolution algebra and irreducible characters are its spectral basis. The normalized character table of a non-abelian group can be obtained through a restriction operator, which means an efficient quantum character transform for any finite group with an efficient quantum Fourier transform. I give complementary quantum algorithms for class convolution based on direct class-sum block encoding and spectral implementation in the character basis, explaining their applications to symmetry-adapted many-body dynamics, molecular and spectroscopic symmetry analysis, and quantum walks, as well as characterizing the central information used in hidden-subgroup problems, including its limitations for graph isomorphism.

Comments
19 pages, 5 figures

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Bastidas et al. (2025) highlighted the importance of exploiting group symmetries to reduce computational overhead and unify simulation methods across both condensed matter physics and ab initio quantum chemistry. I discuss the discrete character transform, which is the group Fourier transform restricted to Z(C[G])Z(\mathbb{C}[G])Z(C[G]), the center of the group algebra, where class functions form a commutative convolution algebra and irreducible characters are its spectral basis. The normalized character table of a non-abelian group can be obtained through a restriction operator, which means an efficient quantum character transform for any finite group with an efficient quantum Fourier transform. I give complementary quantum algorithms for class convolution based on direct class-sum block encoding and spectral implementation in the character basis, explaining their applications to symmetry-adapted many-body dynamics, molecular and spectroscopic symmetry analysis, and quantum walks, as well as characterizing the central information used in hidden-subgroup problems, including its limitations for graph isomorphism.
Quantum Fourier transformations are an essential component of many quantum algorithms, from prime factoring to quantum simulation. While the standard Abelian QFrT is well studied, important variants corresponding to non-Abelian groups of interest have seen less development. In particular, fast non-Abelian Fourier transformations are important components for both quantum simulations of field theories as well as approaches to the non-Abelian hidden subgroup problem. In this work, we present fast quantum Fourier transformations for a number of non-Abelian groups of interest for high energy physics, BT\mathbb{B}\mathbb{T}BT, BO\mathbb{B}\mathbb{O}BO, $6\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}(27)$, $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}(54)$, and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}(36\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}3)$. For each group, we derive explicit quantum circuits and estimate resource scaling for fault-tolerant implementations. Our work shows that the development of a fast Fourier transformation can substantively reduce simulation costs by an up to three orders of magnitude for the finite groups that we have investigated.
The quantum Fourier transform (QFT) has emerged as the primary tool in quantum algorithms which achieve exponential advantage over classical computation and lies at the heart of the solution to the abelian hidden subgroup problem, of which Shor's celebrated factoring and discrete log algorithms are a special case. We begin by addressing various computational issues surrounding the QFT and give improved parallel circuits for both the QFT over a power of 2 and the QFT over an arbitrary cyclic group. These circuits are based on new insight into the relationship between the discrete Fourier transform over different cyclic groups. We then exploit this insight to extend the class of hidden subgroup problems with efficient quantum solutions. First we relax the condition that the underlying hidden subgroup function be distinct on distinct cosets of the subgroup in question and show that this relaxation can be solved whenever G is a finitely-generated abelian group. We then extend this reasoning to the hidden cyclic subgroup problem over the reals, showing how to efficiently generate the bits of the period of any sufficiently piecewise-continuous function on R. Finally, we show that this problem of period-finding over R, viewed as an oracle promise problem, is strictly harder than its integral counterpart. In particular, period-finding over R lies outside the complexity class MA, a class which contains period-finding over the integers.
The quantum Fourier transform (QFT) is a fundamental primitive in quantum computation and quantum information. In this work, we extend the framework for the QFT from finite groups to finite-dimensional semisimple algebras, and give efficient QFTs for the partition algebra Pn(d)P_n(d)Pn​(d), Brauer algebra Bn(d)B_n(d)Bn​(d), and walled Brauer algebra Br,s(d)B_{r,s}(d)Br,s​(d). These algebras play important roles in generalized Schur-Weyl duality, statistical physics and many-body systems, and have recently found several applications in quantum algorithms. Unlike the group case, the Fourier transform over a semisimple algebra can be non-unitary. Nevertheless, we show that when the parameter ddd is sufficiently large, the Fourier transform is well approximated by a unitary operator. Furthermore, we show that for each of the algebras AAA from above, such an approximate Fourier transform can be implemented efficiently: we give a quantum algorithm with gate complexity poly(n,log⁡d,log⁡(1/ε))\mathrm{poly}(n,\log d,\log(1/\varepsilon))poly(n,logd,log(1/ε)) for approximating the Fourier transform to error (d−1/2+ε)⋅poly(∣A∣)(d^{-1/2} + \varepsilon) \cdot \mathrm{poly}(|A|)(d−1/2+ε)⋅poly(∣A∣). Along the way, we establish several properties of the Fourier basis of semisimple algebras that may be of independent interest.
I describe the role of symmetry in two quantum algorithms, with a focus on how that symmetry is made manifest by the Fourier transform. The Fourier transform can be considered in a wider context than the familiar one of functions on Rn or Z/nZ; instead it can be defined for an arbitrary group where it is known as representation theory. The first quantum algorithm solves an instance of the hidden subgroup problem--distinguishing conjugates of the Borel subgroup from each other in groups related to PSL(2; q). I use the symmetry of the subgroups under consideration to reduce the problem to a mild extension of a previously solved problem. This generalizes a result of Moore, Rockmore, Russel and Schulman[33] by switching to a more natural measurement that also applies to prime powers. In contrast to the first algorithm, the second quantum algorithm is an attempt to use naturally continuous spaces. Quantum walks have proved to be a useful tool for designing quantum algorithms. The natural equivalent to continuous time quantum walks is evolution with the Schrodinger equation, under the kinetic energy Hamiltonian for a massive particle. I take advantage of quantum interference to find the center of spherical shells in high dimensions. Any implementation would be likely to take place on a discrete grid, using the ability of a digital quantum computer to simulate the evolution of a quantum system. In addition, I use ideas from the second algorithm on a different set of starting states, and find that quantum evolution can be used to sample from the evolute of a plane curve. The method of stationary phase is used to determine scaling exponents characterizing the precision and probability of success for this procedure.
Symmetry is fundamental in the description and simulation of quantum systems. Leveraging symmetries in classical simulations of many-body quantum systems can result in significant overhead due to the exponentially growing size of some symmetry groups as the number of particles increases. Quantum computers hold the promise of achieving exponential speedup in simulating quantum many-body systems; however, a general method for utilizing symmetries in quantum simulations has not yet been established. In this work, we present a unified framework for incorporating symmetry group transforms on quantum computers to simulate many-body systems. The core of our approach lies in the development of efficient quantum circuits for symmetry-adapted projection onto irreducible representations of a group or pairs of commuting groups. We provide resource estimations for common groups, including the cyclic and permutation groups. Our algorithms demonstrate the capability to prepare coherent superpositions of symmetry-adapted states and to perform quantum evolution across a wide range of models in condensed-matter physics and ab initio electronic structure in quantum chemistry. Specifically, we execute a symmetry-adapted quantum subroutine for small molecules in first-quantization on noisy hardware and demonstrate the emulation of symmetry-adapted quantum phase estimation for preparing coherent superpositions of quantum states in various irreducible representations of a symmetry group. In addition, we present a discussion of open problems regarding treating symmetries in digital quantum simulations of many-body systems, paving the way for future systematic investigations into leveraging symmetries quantumly for practical quantum advantage. The broad applicability and rigorous resource estimation for symmetry transformations make our framework appealing for achieving provable quantum advantage on fault-tolerant quantum computers, especially for symmetry-related properties.
Quantum Fourier transformations are an essential component of many quantum algorithms, from prime factoring to quantum simulation. While the standard abelian QFT is well-studied, important variants corresponding to \emph{nonabelian} groups of interest have seen less development. In particular, fast nonabelian Fourier transformations are important components for both quantum simulations of field theories as well as approaches to the nonabelian hidden subgroup problem. In this work, we present fast quantum Fourier transformations for a number of nonabelian groups of interest for high energy physics, BT\mathbb{BT}BT, BO\mathbb{BO}BO, Δ(27)Δ(27)Δ(27), Δ(54)Δ(54)Δ(54), and Σ(36×3)Σ(36\times3)Σ(36×3). For each group, we derive explicit quantum circuits and estimate resource scaling for fault-tolerant implementations. Our work shows that the development of a fast Fourier transformation can substantively reduce simulation costs by up to three orders of magnitude for the finite groups that we have investigated.