Quantum Optimization for Combinatorial Searches
arXiv:quant-ph/0107081 · doi:10.1088/1367-2630/4/1/326
Abstract
I propose a "quantum annealing" heuristic for the problem of combinatorial search among a frustrated set of states characterized by a cost function to be minimized. The algorithm is probabilistic, with postselection of the measurement result. A unique parameter playing the role of an effective temperature governs the computational load and the overall quality of the optimization. Any level of accuracy can be reached with a computational load independent of the dimension {\it N} of the search set by choosing the effective temperature correspondingly low. This is much better than classical search heuristics, which typically involve computation times growing as powers of log({\it N})
Revised, published version