Abstract
Expanding access to practical quantum computers prompts a widespread need to evaluate their performance. Principles and guidelines for carrying out sound empirical work on quantum computing systems are proposed. The guidelines draw heavily on classical experience in experimental algorithmics and computer systems performance analysis, with some adjustments to address issues in quantum computing. The focus is on issues related to quantum annealing processors, although much of the discussion applies to more general scenarios.
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Notes
- 1.
A solver is an algorithm that has been implemented in code or hardware. We assume throughout that the quantum algorithm and platform are tested as a unit.
- 2.
Because over 60% of integers are divisible by primes less than or equal to 11.
- 3.
The No Free Lunch theorem is a formal result that applies to a certain class of algorithms; the No Free Lunch principle is a folklore rule that applies to heuristics. The theorem and the principle apply to classical but not to quantum solvers.
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McGeoch, C.C. (2019). Principles and Guidelines for Quantum Performance Analysis. In: Feld, S., Linnhoff-Popien, C. (eds) Quantum Technology and Optimization Problems. QTOP 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11413. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14082-3_4
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