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Quantum Information and Computation

A tight lower bound for non-coherent index erasure

Nathan Lindzey, Ansis Rosmanis

Published May 1, 2022• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The index erasure problem is a quantum state generation problem that asks a quantum computer to prepare a uniform superposition over the image of an injective function given by an oracle. We prove a tight $\Omega(\sqrt{n})$ lower bound on the quantum query complexity of the non-coherent case of the problem, where, in addition to preparing the required superposition, the algorithm is allowed to leave the ancillary memory in an arbitrary function-dependent state. This resolves an open question of Ambainis et al., who gave a tight bound for the coherent case, the case where the ancillary memory must return to its initial state. To prove our main result, we first extend the automorphism principle}of Hoyer et al. to the general adversary method of Lee et al. for state generation problems, which allows one to exploit the symmetries of these problems to lower bound their quantum query complexity. Using this method, we establish a strong connection between the quantum query complexity of non-coherent symmetric state generation problems and the Krein parameters of an association scheme defined on injective functions. In particular, we use the spherical harmonics a finite symmetric Gelfand pair associated with the space of injective functions to obtain asymptotic bounds on certain Krein parameters, from which the main result follows.

DOI
10.26421/qic22.7-8-3

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The index erasure problem is a quantum state generation problem that asks a quantum computer to prepare a uniform superposition over the image of an injective function given by an oracle. We prove a tight Ω(n)\Omega(\sqrt{n})Ω(n​) lower bound on the quantum query complexity of the non-coherent case of the problem, where, in addition to preparing the required superposition, the algorithm is allowed to leave the ancillary memory in an arbitrary function-dependent state. This resolves an open question of Ambainis et al., who gave a tight bound for the coherent case, the case where the ancillary memory must return to its initial state. To prove our main result, we first extend the automorphism principle}of Hoyer et al. to the general adversary method of Lee et al. for state generation problems, which allows one to exploit the symmetries of these problems to lower bound their quantum query complexity. Using this method, we establish a strong connection between the quantum query complexity of non-coherent symmetric state generation problems and the Krein parameters of an association scheme defined on injective functions. In particular, we use the spherical harmonics a finite symmetric Gelfand pair associated with the space of injective functions to obtain asymptotic bounds on certain Krein parameters, from which the main result follows.
The Index-Erasure problem is a quantum state generation problem that asks a quantum computer to prepare a uniform superposition over the image of an injective function given by an oracle. We prove a tight Ω(n)Ω(\sqrt{n})Ω(n​) lower bound on the quantum query complexity of the non-coherent case of the problem, where, in addition to preparing the required superposition, the algorithm is allowed to leave the ancillary memory in an arbitrary function-dependent state. This resolves an open question of Ambainis et al., who gave a tight bound for the coherent case, the case where the ancillary memory must return to its initial state. To prove our main result, we first extend the automorphism principle of Høyer et al. to the general adversary method of Lee et al. for state generation problems, which allows one to exploit the symmetries of these problems to lower bound their quantum query complexity. Using this method, we establish a strong connection between the quantum query complexity of non-coherent symmetric state generation problems and the Krein parameters of an association scheme defined on injective functions. In particular, we use the spherical harmonics a finite symmetric Gelfand pair associated with the space of injective functions to obtain asymptotic bounds on certain Krein parameters, from which the main result follows.
The index erasure problem is a quantum state generation problem that asks a quantum computer to prepare a uniform superposition over the image of an injective function given by an oracle. We prove a tight Ω(√n) lower bound on the quantum query complexity of the non-coherent case of the problem, where, in addition to preparing the required superposition, the algorithm is allowed to leave the ancillary memory in an arbitrary function-dependent state. This resolves an open question of Ambainis, Magnin, Roetteler, and Roland (CCC 2011), who gave a tight bound for the coherent case, the case where the ancillary memory must return to its initial state. To prove our main result, we first extend the so-called automorphism principle (Høyer et al. STOC 2007) to the general adversary method for state conversion problems (Lee et al. STOC 2011), which allows one to exploit the symmetries of these problems to lower bound their quantum query complexity. Using this method, we establish a strong connection between the quantum query complexity of non-coherent symmetric state generation problems and the well-known Krein parameters of association schemes. Krein parameters are usually hard to determine, nevertheless, we give a novel way of computing certain Krein parameters of a commutative association scheme defined over partial permutations. We believe the study of this association scheme may also be of independent interest.
The Index Erasure problem asks a quantum computer to prepare a uniform superposition over the image of an injective function given by an oracle. We prove a tight Ω(n)\Omega(\sqrt{n})Ω(n​) lower bound on the quantum query complexity of the non-coherent case of the problem, where, in addition to preparing the required superposition, the algorithm is allowed to leave the ancillary memory in an arbitrary function-dependent state. This resolves an open question of Ambainis, Magnin, Roetteler, and Roland (CCC 2011), who gave a tight bound for the coherent case, the case where the ancillary memory must return to its initial state. The proof is based on evaluating certain Krein parameters of a symmetric association scheme defined over partial permutations. The study of this association scheme may be of independent interest.
We prove near-optimal lower bounds for preprocessing attacks on quantum cryptography in the random oracle model. Specifically, we show that a TTT-query adversary with SSS qubits of non-uniform advice can recover a random key kkk from the nnn-qubit binary phase state ∣ψk⟩∝∑xR(k,x)∣x⟩|ψ_k\rangle \propto \sum_{x} R(k,x) |x\rangle∣ψk​⟩∝∑x​R(k,x)∣x⟩ with probability at most O(T2+STN)O(\frac{T^2 + \sqrt{ST}}{N})O(NT2+ST​​) for N=2nN=2^nN=2n. In contrast, the best known bound for post-quantum one-way functions is O(T2+STN)O(\frac{T^2 + ST}{N})O(NT2+ST​), with a trivial attack at S=NS = NS=N. This demonstrates a new advantage of quantum cryptography over classical cryptography: nnn qubits of communication suffice for security against preprocessing attacks with space up to N2N^2N2 rather than NNN. Our methodology is simple: express the optimal preprocessing attack as the operator norm of a random matrix, and bound this value in expectation over the random oracle via the trace-moment method. These trace moments have a natural interpretation using compressed oracles [Zhandry, Crypto 2019], which we then analyze. This can be viewed as a simplification and generalization of the approach of Liu [Eurocrypt 2023] for proving the security of post-quantum cryptography against preprocessing attacks. We also prove the following results: (1) We tighten Liu's analysis of post-quantum PRGs in QROM, achieving a distinguishing advantage bound of O(T2N+STN)O(\frac{T^2}N + \sqrt{\frac{ST}N})O(NT2​+NST​​). (2) For unitary synthesis, we extend the one-query lower bound of Lombardi-Ma-Wright [STOC 2024] to hold against adversaries that can make one arbitrary function query along with polynomially many (adaptive) queries to the random oracle, either before or after the function query. This also interprets the original LMW24 result in terms of compressed oracles. (3) Finally, we prove a tight O(SN)O(\frac{\sqrt{S}}N)O(NS​​) bound for the pseudorandomness of random binary phase states against space SSS distinguishers.
We introduce a new quantum adversary method to prove lower bounds on the query complexity of the quantum state generation problem. This problem encompasses both, the computation of partial or total functions and the preparation of target quantum states. There has been hope for quite some time that quantum state generation might be a route to tackle the GRAPH-ISOMORPHISM problem. We show that for the related problem of INDEX-ERASURE our method leads to a lower bound of square root of N which matches an upper bound obtained via reduction to quantum search on N elements. This closes an open problem first raised by Shi [FOCS'02]. Our approach is based on two ideas: (i) on the one hand we generalize the known additive and multiplicative adversary methods to the case of quantum state generation, (ii) on the other hand we show how the symmetries of the underlying problem can be leveraged for the design of optimal adversary matrices and dramatically simplify the computation of adversary bounds. Taken together, these two ideas give the new result for INDEX-ERASURE by using the representation theory of the symmetric group. Also, the method can lead to lower bounds even for small success probability, contrary to the standard adversary method. Furthermore, we answer an open question due to Spalek [CCC'08] by showing that the multiplicative version of the adversary method is stronger than the additive one for any problem. Finally, we prove that the multiplicative bound satisfies a strong direct product theorem, extending a result by Spalek to quantum state generation problems.
The (negative-weighted) quantum adversary bound is a tight characterisation of the quantum query complexity for any partial function. We analyse the extent to which this bound can be generalised. Ambainis et al. [arXiv:1012.2112] and Lee et al. [arXiv:1011.3020] generalised this bound to the state generation and state conversion problems, respectively. Using the ideas by Lee et al., we get even further generalisations of the bound. We obtain a version of the bound for general input oracles, which are just arbitrary unitaries. We also generalise the bound to the problem of implementing arbitrary unitary transformations. Similarly to the bound by Lee et al., our bound is a lower bound for exact transformation and an upper bound for approximate transformation. This version of the bound possesses the tight composition property. Using this construction, we also obtain lower bounds on the quantum query complexity of functions and relations with general input oracles.