Miniaturisation of computers components is taking us from classical to quantum physics domain. Further reduction in computer components size eventually will lead to the development of computer systems whose components will be on such a small scale that quantum physics intrinsic properties must be taken into account. The expression quantum computation and a first formal model of a quantum computer were first employed in the eighties. With the discovery of a quantum algorithm for factoring exponentially faster than any known classical algorithm in 1997, quantum computing began to attract industry investments for the development of a quantum computer and the design of novel quantum algorithms. For instance, the development of learning algorithms for neural networks. Some artificial neural networks models can simulate an universal Turing machine, and together with learning capabilities have numerous applications in real life problems. One limitation of artificial neural networks is the lack of an efficient algorithm to determine its optimal architecture. The main objective of this work is to verify whether we can obtain some advantage with the use of quantum computation techniques in a neural network learning and architecture selection procedure. We propose a quantum neural network, named quantum perceptron over a field (QPF). QPF is a direct generalisation of a classical perceptron which addresses some drawbacks found in previous models for quantum perceptrons. We also present a learning algorithm named Superposition based Architecture Learning algorithm (SAL) that optimises the neural network weights and architectures. SAL searches for the best architecture in a finite set of neural network architectures and neural networks parameters in linear time over the number of examples in the training set. SAL is the first quantum learning algorithm to determine neural network architectures in linear time. This speedup is obtained by the use of quantum parallelism and a non linear quantum operator.
Miniaturisation of computers components is taking us from classical to quantum physics domain. Further reduction in computer components size eventually will lead to the development of computer systems whose components will be on such a small scale that quantum physics intrinsic properties must be taken into account. The expression quantum computation and a first formal model of a quantum computer were first employed in the eighties. With the discovery of a quantum algorithm for factoring exponentially faster than any known classical algorithm in 1997, quantum computing began to attract industry investments for the development of a quantum computer and the design of novel quantum algorithms. For instance, the development of learning algorithms for neural networks. Some artificial neural networks models can simulate an universal Turing machine, and together with learning capabilities have numerous applications in real life problems. One limitation of artificial neural networks is the lack of an efficient algorithm to determine its optimal architecture. The main objective of this work is to verify whether we can obtain some advantage with the use of quantum computation techniques in a neural network learning and architecture selection procedure. We propose a quantum neural network, named quantum perceptron over a field (QPF). QPF is a direct generalisation of a classical perceptron which addresses some drawbacks found in previous models for quantum perceptrons. We also present a learning algorithm named Superposition based Architecture Learning algorithm (SAL) that optimises the neural network weights and architectures. SAL searches for the best architecture in a finite set of neural network architectures and neural networks parameters in linear time over the number of examples in the training set. SAL is the first quantum learning algorithm to determine neural network architectures in linear time. This speedup is obtained by the use of quantum parallelism and a non linear quantum operator.
Quantum Machine Learning is gaining prominence with the advent of real quantum processors. The quantum analogue of one of the most important and popular model of machine learning, namely Artificial Neural Network is studied and reviewed here in this paper. Various approaches to design and implement a quantum neural network has been studied. Most of the works done in this field involved a translation of classical neural network components into the language of quantum physics. But direct translation cannot be a solution as not every classical component has a quantum analogue. Non-linear activation functions are good examples of it. Quantum operators need to be linear and therefore finding alternate solutions to activation functions is an active area of research. Nevertheless, its advantages over the classical models are profound. Quantum superposition gives exponential storage capacity to a quantum network. Quantum parallelism can be put to use and to train the network with multiple inputs in one go. Despite being a new field, many real world applications of a quantum neural network has also been theorised. These models, their advantages, applications and limitations has been discussed in this paper.
Quantum Neural Networks (QNNs) represent a novel computational paradigm that merges the principles of quantum computing with the architecture of artificial neural networks. Through the quantum phenomena of superposition, entanglement, and interference, QNNs enable parallel computation in high-dimensional Hilbert spaces, offering the potential to surpass the representational limits of classical models. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations and architectures of QNNs, including Quantum Perceptrons, Variational Quantum Circuits (VQCs), Quantum Convolutional Neural Networks (QCNNs), and Quantum Recurrent Neural Networks (QRNNs). Furthermore, it discusses hybrid quantum–classical training mechanisms and key challenges such as barren plateaus, decoherence, and sampling complexity. The review also highlights recent applications of QNNs in medical diagnostics, materials science, and financial forecasting, demonstrating their potential to accelerate computation and improve predictive accuracy. Finally, future research directions are discussed in relation to computational efficiency, model interpretability, and integration with next-generation quantum hardware.
One of the most promising new directions in quantum computing and artificial intelligence convergence is the Quantum Neural Networks (QNNs) that can potentially revolutionize the manner in which intelligent systems are designed, trained, and implemented. Although traditional deep learning models have proven to be incredibly successful in fields like computer vision, natural language processing and autonomous systems, they are becoming limited by computational bottlenecks, energy use, and scalability constraints when operating on large high-dimensional data. The distinctive principles of quantum mechanics (superposition, entanglement, and quantum parallelism) may be applied to the QNNs to provide a distinct computational paradigm with the ability to execute exponentially complicated computations more effectively than his classical counterparts. This article gives an in-depth analysis of QNNs as the new frontier of artificial intelligence. We start with the description of the theoretical foundations of quantum computation and their realization in the form of neural networks. We then examine state-of-the-art QNN architectures, such as hybrid quantum-classical models that help overcome present quantum hardware limitations in relation to the capabilities of classical machine learning. Some of the upcoming applications are showcased including molecular simulation and drug discovery and financial modeling, optimization, cryptography and intelligent automation. Such applications reveal the revolutionary power of QNNs to tackle the issues that cannot be tackled by traditional systems. Nonetheless, there are also major obstacles on the way to a practical implementation of QNN. Problems that still remain a barrier to widespread adoption include quantum decoherence, noise in near-term quantum devices, and the inability to scale qubit architectures or to train large-scale quantum models. In order to overcome these obstacles, we speak about the current research work on the topic of error correction, variational algorithms, and hybrid system designs. Also we examine the ethical and societal ramifications of quantum-accelerated AI, such as security, data sovereignty, and technological equity globally.
By exploiting the properties of superposition and entanglement found in quantum systems Quantum Computation has been applied to the design of algorithms considerably more efficient than the known classical ones. Known examples are the Shor's factoring algorithm and the Grover's search algorithm. This paper investigates the possibility of employing Quantum Computing techniques to the design of learning algorithms for neural networks tasks such as pattern recognition. We propose a quantum learning algorithm for neural networks where all patterns of the training set are presented concurrently in superposition. In the process we propose a novel model of a quantum weightless neural node. The algorithm is a combination of a quantum search algorithm, a probabilistic quantum memory and a quantum neural network.
Quantum neural networks (QNNs) represent a cutting-edge approach to machine learning and artificial intelligence, harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics to process and analyze data in fundamentally new ways. Unlike classical neural networks, which operate on classical bits and are limited by the laws of classical physics, QNNs use quantum bits (qubits) and exploit quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to achieve unprecedented computational power and efficiency. This chapter explores the principles and applications of QNNs, including their potential for solving complex optimisation problems, pattern recognition tasks, and quantum simulation tasks. We discuss various QNN architectures, training algorithms, and applications, highlighting their advantages and challenges compared to classical neural networks. Additionally, we explore the potential impact of QNNs on fields such as quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing, as well as their implications for society and the economy. Overall, this chapter provides insights into the emerging field of quantum neural networks and sets the stage for further research and innovation in this exciting area.
This paper proposes a quantum-classical algorithm to evaluate and select classical artificial neural networks architectures. The proposed algorithm is based on a probabilistic quantum memory (PQM) and the possibility to train artificial neural networks (ANN) in superposition. We obtain an exponential quantum speedup in the evaluation of neural networks. We also verify experimentally through a reduced experimental analysis that the proposed algorithm can be used to select near-optimal neural networks.