CAREER: On the Foundations of End-to-End Quantum Applications

该项目设定了一个全面的研究议程，重点关注端到端量子应用的设计和实现基础，以弥合量子计算的理论基础与现实量子机器的局限性之间的差距。特别是在量子算法、量子机器学习和量子软件基础研究方面做出基础性贡献。该项目将有助于促进量子在物理、化学和材料科学等所有相关领域的端到端应用，从而有助于建立量子计算的重大里程碑。获得的结果将通过各种场所传播，包括会议、新课程材料、说说性著作和旨在使年轻计算机科学家接触量子信息研究前沿的高中开放日。PI将整合理论计算机科学、（理论）机器学习、形式化方法和编程语言等领域的方法，以解决实现端到端量子应用的独特研究挑战。特别是，该项目包括(1)设计用于子模块优化和对数凹采样的量子算法，(2)开发用于变分量子方法（或所谓的量子神经网络）及其训练方法的新功能，(3)利用形式化方法和编程语言的技术来证明量子应用实现的正确性，以及获得具体的（而不是渐近的）资源/误差分析。这一研究议程将使端到端量子应用及其近期可行性得到更全面的评估。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project sets a comprehensive research agenda focusing on the foundation of the design and implementation of end-to-end quantum applications, as an effort to bridge the gap between the theoretical foundation of quantum computing and the limitation of realistic quantum machines. In particular, it aims to make fundamental contributions to research in quantum algorithms, quantum machine learning, and quantum software foundation. This project will help facilitate end-to-end quantum applications in all related fields, such as physics, chemistry, and material science, and hence contribute to the establishment of major milestones of quantum computing. The results obtained will be disseminated through a variety of venues, including conferences, new course materials, expository writings, and high school open days aimed at exposing young computer scientists to the frontiers of quantum information research.The PI will integrate methods from the fields of theoretical computer science, (theoretical) machine learning, formal methods and programming languages to address the unique research challenges in achieving end-to-end quantum applications. In particular, this project includes (1) designing quantum algorithms for sub-modular optimization and log-concave sampling, (2) developing new functionality for variational quantum methods (or the so-called quantum neural networks) and their training methods, (3) leveraging techniques from formal methods and programming languages to certify the correctness of the implementation of quantum applications as well as to obtain concrete (rather than asymptotic) resource/error analysis. This research agenda will enable a more complete assessment of end-to-end quantum applications and their near-term feasibility.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.