Quantum-Train is an innovative approach that leverages quantum machine learning (QML) to train classical neural network (NN) models, offering significant parameter reduction on a polylogarithmic scale, eliminating data encoding issues, and enabling inference on purely classical computers. We introduce the Quantum-Train Toolkit, which consolidates the source code from various studies on the Quantum-Train framework. This includes image classification on MNIST, FashionMNIST, and CIFAR-10 datasets using convolutional neural networks, reinforcement learning with policy networks in Cartpole-v1 and MiniGrid environments, and Long Short-Term Memory models for flood prediction. The Quantum-Train Toolkit simplifies the execution of PyTorch multilayer perceptron models using Quantum-Train and provides guidance for adapting more complex architectures into the Quantum-Train format.
Quantum-Train is an innovative approach that leverages quantum machine learning (QML) to train classical neural network (NN) models, offering significant parameter reduction on a polylogarithmic scale, eliminating data encoding issues, and enabling inference on purely classical computers. We introduce the Quantum-Train Toolkit, which consolidates the source code from various studies on the Quantum-Train framework. This includes image classification on MNIST, FashionMNIST, and CIFAR-10 datasets using convolutional neural networks, reinforcement learning with policy networks in Cartpole-v1 and MiniGrid environments, and Long Short-Term Memory models for flood prediction. The Quantum-Train Toolkit simplifies the execution of PyTorch multilayer perceptron models using Quantum-Train and provides guidance for adapting more complex architectures into the Quantum-Train format.
Quantum reinforcement learning utilizes quantum layers to process information within a machine learning model. However, both pure and hybrid quantum reinforcement learning face challenges such as data encoding and the use of quantum computers during the inference stage. We apply the Quantum-Train method to reinforcement learning tasks, called QTRL, training the classical policy network model using a quantum machine learning model with polylogarithmic parameter reduction. This QTRL approach eliminates the data encoding issues of conventional quantum machine learning and reduces the training parameters of the corresponding classical policy network. Most importantly, the training result of the QTRL is a classical model, meaning the inference stage only requires classical computer. This is extremely practical and cost-efficient for reinforcement learning tasks, where low-latency feedback from the policy model is essential.
Flood prediction is a critical challenge in the context of climate change, with significant implications for ecosystem preservation, human safety, and infrastructure protection. In this study, we tackle this problem by applying the Quantum-Train (QT) technique to a forecasting Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model trained by Quantum Machine Learning (QML) with significant parameter reduction. The QT technique, originally successful in the “A Matter of Taste” challenge at QHack 2024, leverages QML to reduce the number of trainable parameters to a polylogarithmic function of the number of parameters in a classical neural network (NN). This innovative framework maps classical NN weights to a Hilbert space, altering quantum state probability distributions to adjust NN parameters. Our approach directly processes classical data without the need for quantum embedding and operates independently of quantum computing resources post-training, making it highly practical and accessible for real-world flood prediction applications. This model aims to improve the efficiency of flood forecasts, ultimately contributing to better disaster preparedness and response.
Image classification is a fundamental task in deep learning, and recent advances in quantum computing have generated significant interest in quantum neural networks. Traditionally, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are employed to extract image features, while Multilayer Perceptrons (MLPs) handle decision making. However, parameterized quantum circuits offer the potential to capture complex image features and define sophisticated decision boundaries. In this paper, we present a novel Hybrid Quantum–Classical Neural Network (H-QNN) for image classification, and demonstrate its effectiveness using the MNIST dataset. Our model combines quantum computing with classical supervised learning to enhance classification accuracy and computational efficiency. In this study, we detail the architecture of the H-QNN, emphasizing its capability in feature learning and image classification. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed H-QNN model outperforms conventional deep learning methods in various training scenarios, showcasing its effectiveness in high-dimensional image classification tasks. Additionally, we explore the broader applicability of hybrid quantum–classical approaches in other domains. Our findings contribute to the growing body of work in quantum machine learning, and underscore the potential of quantum-enhanced models for image recognition and classification.
Abstract Image classification, a pivotal task in multiple industries, faces computational challenges due to the burgeoning volume of visual data. This research addresses these challenges by introducing two quantum machine learning models that leverage the principles of quantum mechanics for effective computations. Our first model, a hybrid quantum neural network with parallel quantum circuits, enables the execution of computations even in the noisy intermediate-scale quantum era, where circuits with a large number of qubits are currently infeasible. This model demonstrated a record-breaking classification accuracy of 99.21% on the full MNIST dataset, surpassing the performance of known quantum–classical models, while having eight times fewer parameters than its classical counterpart. Also, the results of testing this hybrid model on a Medical MNIST (classification accuracy over 99%), and on CIFAR-10 (classification accuracy over 82%), can serve as evidence of the generalizability of the model and highlights the efficiency of quantum layers in distinguishing common features of input data. Our second model introduces a hybrid quantum neural network with a Quanvolutional layer, reducing image resolution via a convolution process. The model matches the performance of its classical counterpart, having four times fewer trainable parameters, and outperforms a classical model with equal weight parameters. These models represent advancements in quantum machine learning research and illuminate the path towards more accurate image classification systems.
Abstract Quantum Machine Learning (QML) has emerged as a promising paradigm that leverages the principles of quantum mechanics—such as superposition and entanglement—to overcome the limitations of classical machine learning in handling complex, high-dimensional data. However, practical challenges such as limited coherence times of qubits and the integration of quantum circuits with classical architectures have hindered the full realization of QML’s potential. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel hybrid architecture, termed the Classical-Quantum Hybrid Convolutional Neural Network (CQHCNN), which integrates quantum-inspired layers into conventional deep learning frameworks. These quantum layers utilize quantum information processing to extract complex features, while the classical components perform feature extraction and classification. This paper evaluates the performance of our model on several benchmark datasets, including MNIST, Fashion-MNIST, CIFAR-10 and COVID-19 Radiography, demonstrating its ability to outperform some other Quantum Convolutional Neural Networks (QCNNs) in terms of many metrics. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid model achieves significant improvements in classification accuracy and computational efficiency, highlighting the potential of quantum-inspired techniques to enhance classical machine learning models.
Image classification is a major application domain for conventional deep learning (DL). Quantum machine learning (QML) has the potential to revolutionize image classification. In any typical DL-based image classification, we use convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract features from the image and multi-layer perceptron network (MLP) to create the actual decision boundaries. QML models can be useful in both of these tasks. On one hand, convolution with parameterized quantum circuits (Quanvolution) can extract rich features from the images. On the other hand, quantum neural network (QNN) models can create complex decision boundaries. Therefore, Quanvolution and QNN can be used to create an end-to-end QML model for image classification. Alternatively, we can extract image features separately using classical dimension reduction techniques such as, Principal Components Analysis (PCA) or Convolutional Autoen-coder (CAE) and use the extracted features to train a QNN. We review two proposals on quantum-classical hybrid ML models for image classification namely, Quanvolutional Neural Network and dimension reduction using a classical algorithm followed by QNN. Particularly, we make a case for trainable filters in Quanvolution and CAE-based feature extraction for image datasets (instead of dimension reduction using linear transformations such as, PCA). We discuss various design choices, potential opportunities, and drawbacks of these models. We also release a Python-based framework to create and explore these hybrid models with a variety of design choices.