Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Unifying Classical Spin Models Using A Quantum Formalism

Gemma De las Cuevas

Published Jan 1, 2016• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have recently shown that the partition function of any classical spin model, including all discrete standard statistical models and all Abelian discrete lattice gauge theories, can be expressed as the specific instance of the partition function of a four dimensional Ising lattice gauge theory. This unifies models with apparently very different features (global vs. local symmetries, many body interactions, different dimensions, etc) in a single complete model. The proof of the result uses techniques from quantum information. In this talk we review these mappings and discuss recent developments, including quantum algorithms to approximate the partition function.

DOI
10.14288/1.0103171

Related papers

Mapping all classical spin models to a lattice gauge theory

Gemma De las Cuevas, Wolfgang Dür, Hans J. Briegel +1 more

In our recent work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 230502 (2009)] we showed that the partition function of all classical spin models, including all discrete standard statistical models and all Abelian discrete lattice gauge theories (LGTs), can be expressed as a special instance of the partition function of a 4-dimensional pure LGT with gauge group Z_2 (4D Z_2 LGT). This provides a unification of models with apparently very different features into a single complete model. The result uses an equality between the Hamilton function of any classical spin model and the Hamilton function of a model with all possible k-body Ising-type interactions, for all k, which we also prove. Here, we elaborate on the proof of the result, and we illustrate it by computing quantities of a specific model as a function of the partition function of the 4D Z_2 LGT. The result also allows one to establish a new method to compute the mean-field theory of Z_2 LGTs with d > 3, and to show that computing the partition function of the 4D Z_2 LGT is computationally hard (#P hard). The proof uses techniques from quantum information.

arXiv:0911.2096•New Journal of Physics•Apr 8, 2010•17 citations

Unifying All Classical Spin Models in a Lattice Gauge Theory

Gemma De las Cuevas, Wolfgang Dür, Hans J. Briegel +1 more

The partition function of all classical spin models, including all discrete standard statistical models and all Abelian discrete lattice gauge theories (LGTs), is expressed as a special instance of the partition function of the 4D Z2 LGT. This unifies all classical spin models with apparently very different features in a single complete model. This result is applied to establish a new method to compute the mean-field theory of Abelian discrete LGTs with d > or = 4, and to show that computing the partition function of the 4D Z2 LGT is computationally hard (#P hard). The 4D Z2 LGT is also proved to be approximately complete for Abelian continuous models. The proof uses techniques from quantum information.

arXiv:0812.3583•Physical Review Letters•Jun 11, 2009•32 citations

A quantum information approach to statistical mechanics

Gemma De las Cuevas

We review some connections between quantum information and statistical mechanics. We focus on three sets of results for classical spin models. First, we show that the partition function of all classical spin models (including models in different dimensions, different types of many-body interactions, different symmetries, etc) can be mapped to the partition function of a single model. Second, we give efficient quantum algorithms to estimate the partition function of various classical spin models, such as the Ising or the Potts model. The proofs of these two results are based on a mapping from partition functions to quantum states and to quantum circuits, respectively. Finally, we show how classical spin models can be used to describe certain fluctuating lattices appearing in models of discrete quantum gravity.

arXiv:1312.6007•Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Dec 4, 2013•8 citations

Completeness of classical spin models and universal quantum computation

Gemma De las Cuevas, Wolfgang Dür, Maarten Van den Nest +1 more

We study mappings between distinct classical spin systems that leave the partition function invariant. As recently shown in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 110501 (2008)], the partition function of the 2D square lattice Ising model in the presence of an inhomogeneous magnetic field, can specialize to the partition function of any Ising system on an arbitrary graph. In this sense the 2D Ising model is said to be "complete". However, in order to obtain the above result, the coupling strengths on the 2D lattice must assume complex values, and thus do not allow for a physical interpretation. Here we show how a complete model with real -and, hence, "physical"- couplings can be obtained if the 3D Ising model is considered. We furthermore show how to map general q-state systems with possibly many-body interactions to the 2D Ising model with complex parameters, and give completeness results for these models with real parameters. We also demonstrate that the computational overhead in these constructions is in all relevant cases polynomial. These results are proved by invoking a recently found cross-connection between statistical mechanics and quantum information theory, where partition functions are expressed as quantum mechanical amplitudes. Within this framework, there exists a natural correspondence between many-body quantum states that allow universal quantum computation via local measurements only, and complete classical spin systems.

arXiv:0812.2368•Journal of Statistical Mechanics Theory and Experiment•Jul 1, 2009•20 citations

Classical Spin Models and the Quantum-Stabilizer Formalism

M. Van den Nest, Wolfgang Dür, Hans J. Briegel

We relate a large class of classical spin models, including the inhomogeneous Ising, Potts, and clock models of q-state spins on arbitrary graphs, to problems in quantum physics. More precisely, we show how to express partition functions as inner products between certain quantum-stabilizer states and product states. This connection allows us to use powerful techniques developed in quantum-information theory, such as the stabilizer formalism and classical simulation techniques, to gain general insights into these models in a unified way. We recover and generalize several symmetries and high-low temperature dualities, and we provide an efficient classical evaluation of partition functions for all interaction graphs with a bounded tree-width.

arXiv:quant-ph/0610157•Physical Review Letters•Mar 16, 2007•56 citations

Classical spin systems and the quantum stabilizer formalism: General mappings and applications

R. Hübener, M. Van den Nest, Wolfgang Dür +1 more

We present general mappings between classical spin systems and quantum physics. More precisely, we show how to express partition functions and correlation functions of arbitrary classical spin models as inner products between quantum stabilizer states and product states, thereby generalizing mappings for some specific models established in our previous work [M. Van den Nest et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 117207 (2007)]. For Ising- and Potts-type models with and without external magnetic field, we show how the entanglement features of the corresponding stabilizer states are related to the interaction pattern of the classical model, while the choice of product states encodes the details of the interaction. These mappings establish a link between the fields of classical statistical mechanics and quantum information theory, which we utilize to transfer techniques and methods developed in one field to gain insight into the other. For example, we use quantum information techniques to recover well known duality relations and local symmetries of classical models in a simple way and provide new classical simulation methods to simulate certain types of classical spin models. We show that in this way all inhomogeneous models of q-dimensional spins with pairwise interaction pattern specified by a graph of bounded tree width can be simulated efficiently. Finally, we show relations between classical spin models and measurement-based quantum computation.

arXiv:0812.2127•Journal of Mathematical Physics•Aug 1, 2009•6 citations
We have recently shown that the partition function of any classical spin model, including all discrete standard statistical models and all Abelian discrete lattice gauge theories, can be expressed as the specific instance of the partition function of a four dimensional Ising lattice gauge theory. This unifies models with apparently very different features (global vs. local symmetries, many body interactions, different dimensions, etc) in a single complete model. The proof of the result uses techniques from quantum information. In this talk we review these mappings and discuss recent developments, including quantum algorithms to approximate the partition function.
In our recent work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 230502 (2009)] we showed that the partition function of all classical spin models, including all discrete standard statistical models and all Abelian discrete lattice gauge theories (LGTs), can be expressed as a special instance of the partition function of a 4-dimensional pure LGT with gauge group Z_2 (4D Z_2 LGT). This provides a unification of models with apparently very different features into a single complete model. The result uses an equality between the Hamilton function of any classical spin model and the Hamilton function of a model with all possible k-body Ising-type interactions, for all k, which we also prove. Here, we elaborate on the proof of the result, and we illustrate it by computing quantities of a specific model as a function of the partition function of the 4D Z_2 LGT. The result also allows one to establish a new method to compute the mean-field theory of Z_2 LGTs with d > 3, and to show that computing the partition function of the 4D Z_2 LGT is computationally hard (#P hard). The proof uses techniques from quantum information.
The partition function of all classical spin models, including all discrete standard statistical models and all Abelian discrete lattice gauge theories (LGTs), is expressed as a special instance of the partition function of the 4D Z2 LGT. This unifies all classical spin models with apparently very different features in a single complete model. This result is applied to establish a new method to compute the mean-field theory of Abelian discrete LGTs with d > or = 4, and to show that computing the partition function of the 4D Z2 LGT is computationally hard (#P hard). The 4D Z2 LGT is also proved to be approximately complete for Abelian continuous models. The proof uses techniques from quantum information.
We review some connections between quantum information and statistical mechanics. We focus on three sets of results for classical spin models. First, we show that the partition function of all classical spin models (including models in different dimensions, different types of many-body interactions, different symmetries, etc) can be mapped to the partition function of a single model. Second, we give efficient quantum algorithms to estimate the partition function of various classical spin models, such as the Ising or the Potts model. The proofs of these two results are based on a mapping from partition functions to quantum states and to quantum circuits, respectively. Finally, we show how classical spin models can be used to describe certain fluctuating lattices appearing in models of discrete quantum gravity.
We study mappings between distinct classical spin systems that leave the partition function invariant. As recently shown in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 110501 (2008)], the partition function of the 2D square lattice Ising model in the presence of an inhomogeneous magnetic field, can specialize to the partition function of any Ising system on an arbitrary graph. In this sense the 2D Ising model is said to be "complete". However, in order to obtain the above result, the coupling strengths on the 2D lattice must assume complex values, and thus do not allow for a physical interpretation. Here we show how a complete model with real -and, hence, "physical"- couplings can be obtained if the 3D Ising model is considered. We furthermore show how to map general q-state systems with possibly many-body interactions to the 2D Ising model with complex parameters, and give completeness results for these models with real parameters. We also demonstrate that the computational overhead in these constructions is in all relevant cases polynomial. These results are proved by invoking a recently found cross-connection between statistical mechanics and quantum information theory, where partition functions are expressed as quantum mechanical amplitudes. Within this framework, there exists a natural correspondence between many-body quantum states that allow universal quantum computation via local measurements only, and complete classical spin systems.
We relate a large class of classical spin models, including the inhomogeneous Ising, Potts, and clock models of q-state spins on arbitrary graphs, to problems in quantum physics. More precisely, we show how to express partition functions as inner products between certain quantum-stabilizer states and product states. This connection allows us to use powerful techniques developed in quantum-information theory, such as the stabilizer formalism and classical simulation techniques, to gain general insights into these models in a unified way. We recover and generalize several symmetries and high-low temperature dualities, and we provide an efficient classical evaluation of partition functions for all interaction graphs with a bounded tree-width.
We present general mappings between classical spin systems and quantum physics. More precisely, we show how to express partition functions and correlation functions of arbitrary classical spin models as inner products between quantum stabilizer states and product states, thereby generalizing mappings for some specific models established in our previous work [M. Van den Nest et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 117207 (2007)]. For Ising- and Potts-type models with and without external magnetic field, we show how the entanglement features of the corresponding stabilizer states are related to the interaction pattern of the classical model, while the choice of product states encodes the details of the interaction. These mappings establish a link between the fields of classical statistical mechanics and quantum information theory, which we utilize to transfer techniques and methods developed in one field to gain insight into the other. For example, we use quantum information techniques to recover well known duality relations and local symmetries of classical models in a simple way and provide new classical simulation methods to simulate certain types of classical spin models. We show that in this way all inhomogeneous models of q-dimensional spins with pairwise interaction pattern specified by a graph of bounded tree width can be simulated efficiently. Finally, we show relations between classical spin models and measurement-based quantum computation.