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IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC)

Quantum-inspired genetic algorithms

A. Narayanan, M. Moore

Published Dec 24, 2002• 649 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A novel evolutionary computing method-quantum inspired genetic algorithms-is introduced, where concepts and principles of quantum mechanics are used to inform and inspire more efficient evolutionary computing methods. The basic terminology of quantum mechanics is introduced before a comparison is made between a classical genetic algorithm and a quantum inspired method for the travelling salesperson problem. It is informally shown that the quantum inspired genetic algorithm performs better than the classical counterpart for a small domain. The paper concludes with some speculative comments concerning the relationship between quantum inspired genetic algorithms and various complexity classes.

DOI
10.1109/icec.1996.542334

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A novel evolutionary computing method-quantum inspired genetic algorithms-is introduced, where concepts and principles of quantum mechanics are used to inform and inspire more efficient evolutionary computing methods. The basic terminology of quantum mechanics is introduced before a comparison is made between a classical genetic algorithm and a quantum inspired method for the travelling salesperson problem. It is informally shown that the quantum inspired genetic algorithm performs better than the classical counterpart for a small domain. The paper concludes with some speculative comments concerning the relationship between quantum inspired genetic algorithms and various complexity classes.
By violating the extended Church-Turing thesis, the quantum computing (QC) paradigm has emerged as a serious contender to classical computing. We now know that certain classical exponential problems (NP (nondeterministic polynomial time)-complete) can be solved in polynomial time by QC. Shor’s integer factorization and Grover’s method for unstructured search are perhaps the most well-known quantum algorithms. QC has been successfully applied to a variety of domains including optimization problems. Optimization can be solved by using deterministic/numerical as well as stochastic methods. Genetic algorithms (GA) belong to the latter category. Incorporating quantum mechanical properties such as superposition, entanglement, interference into the structure of GA has resulted in a more efficient evolutionary computing method called the quantum-inspired genetic algorithm. This method has been successfully applied to image processing, signal processing, economic load dispatch, coalition formation, task scheduling, etc. This chapter presents an overview of the current trends and developments in the domain of quantum-inspired genetic algorithms with the aim of investigating areas of further research in this sphere.
This paper proposes a novel evolutionary algorithm inspired by quantum computing, called a quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm (QEA), which is based on the concept and principles of quantum computing, such as a quantum bit and superposition of states. Like other evolutionary algorithms, QEA is also characterized by the representation of the individual, evaluation function, and population dynamics. However, instead of binary, numeric, or symbolic representation, QEA uses a Q-bit, defined as the smallest unit of information, for the probabilistic representation and a Q-bit individual as a string of Q-bits. A Q-gate is introduced as a variation operator to drive the individuals toward better solutions. To demonstrate its effectiveness and applicability, experiments were carried out on the knapsack problem, which is a well-known combinatorial optimization problem. The results show that QEA performs well, even with a small population, without premature convergence as compared to the conventional genetic algorithm.
This paper explores the application of a quantum-inspired genetic algorithm (QIGA) for solving complex optimization problems. Traditional genetic algorithms (GAs) can struggle with the intricacies of high-dimensional and non-linear problems, often encountering issues with premature convergence and local optima. This research proposes a novel approach where a standard GA is modified to incorporate principles inspired by quantum mechanics, specifically utilizing quantum-inspired concepts such as superposition and interference, to enhance the exploration and exploitation phases. The core claim is that QIGA can effectively tackle complex optimization scenarios. The mechanism involves mapping the original problem into the fitness function of the GA, and subsequently using the QIGA to perform the optimization. The results demonstrate the potential of this hybrid approach to improve solution quality and speed, particularly in problems with challenging characteristics. The research highlights a promising direction for combining classical optimization techniques with quantum-inspired ideas, offering a new tool for tackling computationally intensive optimization tasks. ---
Quantum computers are seen as the next generation computing technique with the processing power potential they have. However, currently, quantum computers are limited in terms of hardware and algorithmic capabilities. In this study, quantum-inspired methods which are formed by combining quantum computation techniques with classical algorithms are focused on. It has been emphasized in many studies that quantum-inspired methods provide advantages especially for metaheuristic methods. Different from them, in this study, the performance of population-based quantum-inspired methods are compared. The paper focuses on solving the same optimization problem by using quantum-inspired versions of the population-based optimization algorithms such as evolutionary algorithm, genetic algorithm, and differential evolution algorithm. The experimental results show that, while Quantum-inspired Evolutionary Algorithm is better at global search, Quantum-inspired Differential Evolution Algorithm is better at local search and more accurate results.
Recently, researchers have applied genetic algorithms (GAs) to address some problems in quantum computation. Also, there has been some works in the designing of genetic algorithms based on quantum theoretical concepts and techniques. The so called Quantum Evolutionary Programming has two major sub-areas: Quantum Inspired Genetic Algorithms (QIGAs) and Quantum Genetic Algorithms (QGAs). The former adopts qubit chromosomes as representations and employs quantum gates for the search of the best solution. The later tries to solve a key question in this field: what GAs will look like as an implementation on quantum hardware? As we shall see, there is not a complete answer for this question. An important point for QGAs is to build a quantum algorithm that takes advantage of both the GA and quantum computing parallelism as well as true randomness provided by quantum computers. In the first part of this paper we present a survey of the main works in GAs plus quantum computing including also our works in this area. Henceforth, we review some basic concepts in quantum computation and GAs and emphasize their inherent parallelism. Next, we review the application of GAs for learning quantum operators and circuit design. Then, quantum evolutionary programming is considered. Finally, we present our current research in this field and some perspectives.
This paper presents a novel approach to complex optimization problems by integrating quantum-inspired concepts within an evolutionary algorithm framework. Traditional evolutionary algorithms, such as Genetic Algorithms and Differential Evolution, can struggle with high-dimensional and complex search spaces, often exhibiting slow convergence rates. We hypothesize that principles derived from quantum mechanics, specifically superposition and entanglement, can provide a more effective mechanism for exploring these spaces. Our proposed Quantum-Inspired Evolutionary Algorithm (QIEA) incorporates operators designed to mimic quantum interference and entanglement, allowing for a more nuanced and potentially faster exploration of the solution landscape. The core claim is that these quantum-inspired mechanisms can significantly enhance the efficiency of evolutionary optimization. The paper details the algorithm's design, including the implementation of interference and entanglement operators, and discusses its potential advantages and challenges. Experimental results (though not presented through dedicated experimental sections) demonstrate the algorithm's ability to outperform standard evolutionary algorithms on a range of benchmark problems.