Self-Referential Formal Verification of Quantum Programs

Jincheng Zhang

Published Sep 3, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

The verification of quantum programs presents a formidable challenge due to the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics, namely superposition and entanglement. Traditional verification methods struggle to cope with the exponentially growing state space inherent in quantum computation. This paper proposes a novel self-referential formal verification method that leverages quantum computation itself to tackle this problem. The core idea involves representing the verification system as a quantum program, enabling self-execution and verification. We utilize techniques from quantum circuit compilation and formal methods to design and implement this approach. This strategy offers a potential pathway to manage the complexity of quantum verification, though significant theoretical and practical hurdles remain. The primary objective is to establish a framework where the inherent properties of quantum systems are harnessed to address the verification process. This work lays the groundwork for future research into scalable quantum verification techniques.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22271956

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