We investigate the use of quantum computing algorithms on real quantum hardware to tackle the computationally intensive task of feature selection for light-weight medical image datasets. Feature selection is often formulated as a k of n selection problem, where the complexity grows binomially with increasing k and n. Quantum computers, particularly quantum annealers, are well-suited for such problems, which may offer advantages under certain problem formulations. We present a method to solve larger feature selection instances than previously demonstrated on commercial quantum annealers. Our approach combines a linear Ising penalty mechanism with subsampling and thresholding techniques to enhance scalability. The method is tested in a toy problem where feature selection identifies pixel masks used to reconstruct small-scale medical images. We compare our approach against a range of feature selection strategies, including randomized baselines, classical supervised and unsupervised methods, combinatorial optimization via classical and quantum solvers, and learning-based feature representations. The results indicate that quantum annealing-based feature selection is effective for this simplified use case, demonstrating its potential in high-dimensional optimization tasks. However, its applicability to broader, real-world problems remains uncertain, given the current limitations of quantum computing hardware. While learned feature representations such as autoencoders achieve superior reconstruction performance, they do not offer the same level of interpretability or direct control over input feature selection as our approach.
We investigate the use of quantum computing algorithms on real quantum hardware to tackle the computationally intensive task of feature selection for light-weight medical image datasets. Feature selection is often formulated as a k of n selection problem, where the complexity grows binomially with increasing k and n. Quantum computers, particularly quantum annealers, are well-suited for such problems, which may offer advantages under certain problem formulations. We present a method to solve larger feature selection instances than previously demonstrated on commercial quantum annealers. Our approach combines a linear Ising penalty mechanism with subsampling and thresholding techniques to enhance scalability. The method is tested in a toy problem where feature selection identifies pixel masks used to reconstruct small-scale medical images. We compare our approach against a range of feature selection strategies, including randomized baselines, classical supervised and unsupervised methods, combinatorial optimization via classical and quantum solvers, and learning-based feature representations. The results indicate that quantum annealing-based feature selection is effective for this simplified use case, demonstrating its potential in high-dimensional optimization tasks. However, its applicability to broader, real-world problems remains uncertain, given the current limitations of quantum computing hardware. While learned feature representations such as autoencoders achieve superior reconstruction performance, they do not offer the same level of interpretability or direct control over input feature selection as our approach.
We investigate the use of quantum computing algorithms on real quantum hardware to tackle the computationally intensive task of feature selection for light-weight medical image datasets. Feature selection is often formulated as a k of n selection problem, where the complexity grows binomially with increasing k and n. Quantum computers, particularly quantum annealers, are well-suited for such problems, which may offer advantages under certain problem formulations. We present a method to solve larger feature selection instances than previously demonstrated on commercial quantum annealers. Our approach combines a linear Ising penalty mechanism with subsampling and thresholding techniques to enhance scalability. The method is tested in a toy problem where feature selection identifies pixel masks used to reconstruct small-scale medical images. We compare our approach against a range of feature selection strategies, including randomized baselines, classical supervised and unsupervised methods, combinatorial optimization via classical and quantum solvers, and learning-based feature representations. The results indicate that quantum annealing-based feature selection is effective for this simplified use case, demonstrating its potential in high-dimensional optimization tasks. However, its applicability to broader, real-world problems remains uncertain, given the current limitations of quantum computing hardware. While learned feature representations such as autoencoders achieve superior reconstruction performance, they do not offer the same level of interpretability or direct control over input feature selection as our approach.
We investigate the use of quantum computing algorithms on real quantum hardware to tackle the computationally intensive task of feature selection for light-weight medical image datasets.Feature selection is often formulated as a k of n selection problem, where the complexity grows binomially with increasing k and n.Quantum computers, particularly quantum annealers, are well-suited for such problems, which may offer advantages under certain problem formulations.We present a method to solve larger feature selection instances than previously demonstrated on commercial quantum annealers.Our approach combines a linear Ising penalty mechanism with subsampling and thresholding techniques to enhance scalability.The method is tested in a toy problem where feature selection identifies pixel masks used to reconstruct small-scale medical images.We compare our approach against a range of feature selection strategies, including randomized baselines, classical supervised and unsupervised methods, combinatorial optimization via classical and quantum solvers, and learning-based feature representations.The results indicate that quantum annealing-based feature selection is effective for this simplified use case, demonstrating its potential in high-dimensional optimization tasks.However, its applicability to broader, real-world problems remains uncertain, given the current limitations of quantum computing hardware.While learned feature representations such as autoencoders achieve superior reconstruction performance, they do not offer the same level of interpretability or direct control over input feature selection as our approach.
The rapid explosion of medical image data poses a significant challenge to reliable disease Classification with high-dimensional feature spaces and intricate inter-feature correlations. In this paper, a new quantum annealing-inspired framework for optimal feature subset selection, specifically tailored to improve medical image Classification. In contrast to traditional filter, wrapper, or embedded techniques that tend to ignore redundancy and feature interactions, our solution poses feature selection as a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problem and solves it effectively using D-Wave quantum annealer hardware. The presented approach makes three primary contributions: (i) a QUBO formulation that captures feature importance, redundancy suppression, and interaction synergy simultaneously, (ii) a hybrid quantum-classical pipeline with embedding, decomposition, and chain strength optimization for efficient execution on existing quantum hardware, and (iii) a comprehensive evaluation on three heterogeneous medical imaging datasets—diabetic retinopathy, breast cancer histopathology, and chest X-ray pneumonia. Experimental findings exhibit uniform improvements in Classification performance (up to 12.1%), drastic feature reduction (65–80%), and much reduced computational time over six state-of-the-art classical approaches. With the exposure of clinically relevant features and robust statistical significance across benchmarks, our approach places quantum annealing as an influential and scalable tool for future medical AI applications.
Feature selection is an essential step for reducing complexity of high dimensional data, usually in preparation for developing machine learning models such as computational biomarkers. However, there are limitations associated with feature selection such as for metabolomic data where there are hundreds or even thousands of features per study participant, while the available number of participants in a clinical trials is limited. Classical methods such as exhaustive search require evaluation of all possible feature combinations, making them costly in terms of computation and runtime, or even infeasible, as feature dimensionality increases. In this study, we propose a novel Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) coefficient formulation and pose metabolomic feature selection as a QUBO problem that selects a specified number of features by balancing their relevance against redundancy among the selected variables. To evaluate our proposed QUBO objective function, we conducted a series of experiments using Bias-Field Digitized Counterdiabatic Quantum Optimization (BF-DCQO) and Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) on a quantum gate based computer. We also compared the method to several classical methods on three metabolomic datasets associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on a classical computer. Our method reduces runtime compared with exhaustive search and Iterative Tabu Search (ITS) and achieves competitive performance across classifiers compared to classical filter, wrapper, and embedded methods. These results do not claim quantum advantage; rather, they establish hardware feasibility and demonstrate the current capabilities of Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices.
This paper explores the applications of quantum annealing (QA) and classical simulated annealing (SA) to a suite of combinatorial optimization problems in machine learning, namely feature selection, instance selection, and clustering. We formulate each task as a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problem and implement both quantum and classical solvers to compare their effectiveness. For feature selection, we propose several QUBO configurations that balance feature importance and redundancy, showing that quantum annealing (QA) produces solutions that are computationally more efficient. In instance selection, we propose a few novel heuristics for instance-level importance measures that extend existing methods. For clustering, we embed a classical-to-quantum pipeline, using classical clustering followed by QUBO-based medoid refinement, and demonstrate consistent improvements in cluster compactness and retrieval metrics. Our results suggest that QA can be a competitive and efficient tool for discrete machine learning optimization, even within the constraints of current quantum hardware.
Feature selection is crucial for enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of machine learning models. This work investigates the possibility of the usefulness of a quantum annealer to tackle the challenge of selecting features based on maximizing mutual information (MI) and conditional mutual information (CMI). Calculating the optimal feature set for maximum MI and CMI remains computationally intractable for large datasets on classical computers, even with approximation methods. This study employs a Mutual Information Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (MIQUBO) formulation, enabling its solution on a quantum annealer. Importantly, the study demonstrates the relevancy of this approach in identifying the best feature combinations that maximizes the MI and CMI. To showcase its real-world applicability, we apply MIQUBO to forecasting the price of used excavators. Our results demonstrate that using the MIQUBO approach there is an improvement in the prediction of machine learning models for datasets, with a smaller MI concentration on a subset of all features. • Problem Addressed: We tackle the computationally difficult problem of feature selection for machine learning models, specifically by maximizing mutual information (MI) and conditional mutual information (CMI) between features and the target variable. • Proposed Solution: We employ the adiabatic quantum computation paradigm to tackle this problem. The study utilizes a hybrid annealing approach, specifically the D-Wave Kerberos framework, which combines classical and quantum algorithms to solve the complex optimization problem. The feature selection task is reformulated as a Mutual Information Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (MIQUBO) problem, which can be solved on a quantum annealer. • Real-World Application: The MIQUBO method is applied to a practical, real-world scenario: forecasting the prices of used excavators. • Key Findings: The research demonstrates that using the MIQUBO approach leads to an improvement in the prediction performance of machine learning models. This is particularly true for datasets where the mutual information is less concentrated on a small subset of features.