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Automated Theorem Proving for Quantum Circuit Verification using SAT Solvers

Jincheng Zhang

Published Sep 5, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The verification of quantum circuits is a critical task in quantum computing, ensuring the fidelity and correctness of quantum computations. However, the exponential scaling of the problem with circuit size presents a significant challenge. This paper proposes a novel approach to automated theorem proving for quantum circuit verification by formulating the verification problem as a Boolean satisfiability (SAT) problem. We demonstrate a methodology for translating quantum circuit properties (e.g., output state, gate operations) into equivalent Boolean expressions and subsequently employing existing SAT solvers to determine the satisfiability of these expressions. This approach effectively bridges the gap between quantum circuit theory and SAT solving, offering a potentially scalable solution for verifying complex quantum circuits. The core of our system revolves around a translation module that converts quantum circuit specifications into SAT instances, and a solver interface that interacts with established SAT solvers. We explore the limitations of this approach and discuss future research directions, including hybrid approaches combining SAT solving with quantum simulation techniques. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated through theoretical analysis and conceptual design, with a focus on the algorithmic efficiency and potential scalability of the proposed framework.

DOI
10.5281/zenodo.22339924

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The Boolean satisfiability problem (SAT) is widely applied in modern tasks of microelectronics design automation. An important application of such a task is the design of logic circuits with specified characteristics from a given set of logic gates. To solve an SAT problem, both standard solvers and modern optimization tools can be used, including a relatively new hardware tool for solving the quantum annealing problem. The solution of this problem can be performed on a quantum annealing system by constructing a socalled Boolean network according to special rules and selecting an appropriate objective function. The article discusses the practical application of quantum annealing to the construction of short logic circuits by solving an SAT problem based on the methods proposed in the literature, and also analyzes the practical aspects of applying such methods to the construction of quantum circuits.
This paper presents a novel approach to verifying the correctness of quantum circuits using temporal logic. Traditional verification methods often rely on gate-level simulation, which can be computationally expensive and insufficient for complex quantum algorithms. This work addresses this limitation by formally modeling quantum circuits as temporal logic systems. We leverage the expressive power of temporal logic to capture the desired behavior of quantum algorithms, including their evolution over time and the effects of quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement. The core of our method involves mapping the circuit's operations onto temporal logic specifications and utilizing automated theorem proving and model checking techniques, tailored to the probabilistic nature of quantum systems. We demonstrate that this approach provides a more rigorous and scalable verification framework compared to existing methods, offering a pathway to ensuring the reliability of quantum computations. The key contributions of this work are the formalization of quantum circuits with temporal logic, the adaptation of theorem proving and model checking techniques for quantum systems, and the potential for significantly improving the trustworthiness of quantum algorithms.
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