RIT (Research Interaction Team) in Quantum Information Science, Spring 2025
Organizers:
Carl Miller, Daniel Serrano, Konstantina Trivisa
When and Where:
Wednesdays, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206
Overview:
In this seminar, we are interested in all aspects of research at the intersection between quantum information science and mathematics. Goals for the seminar include:
- Studying recent research results in quantum information from a mathematical angle;
- Finding examples (old and new) in which existing tools from mathematics have been adapted for application in quantum information;
- Studying quantum algorithms for mathematical problems
- Enabling interaction between researchers interested in collaborating at the intersection between quantum information and mathematics.
If interested in joining, reach out to Daniel Serrano (dsvolpe@umd.edu). Optional: 1 credit. Course number: AMSC689, Section 5201. Reach out to Jessica Sadler for help with registration (jsadler@umd.edu). To earn 1 credit, you need to give a talk and attend all sessions (2 excused absences allowed).
Session 9 (04/30, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Quantum Algorithm Research Talks”
This session will involve the two following talks: Talk 1: Quantum Wave Atom Transforms Marianna Podzorova - CS Grad Student We construct the first quantum algorithm for wavelet packet transforms with a tree structure, sometimes called wave atom transforms. Classically, wave atoms are used to construct sparse representations of differential operators, which enable fast numerical algorithms for partial differential equations. Compared to previous work, our quantum algorithm can implement a larger class of wavelet and wave atom transforms, by using an efficient representation for a larger class of possible tree structures. Our quantum implementation has O(poly(n)) gate complexity for the transform of size 2^n, while classical complexity has O(n2^n) float operations. The result can be used to improve existing quantum algorithms for solving hyperbolic partial differential equations.
Talk 2: Quantum Differential Equation Solvers: Fast-forwarding on Dissipative Equations Gengzhi Yang - AMSC Grad Student
Session 8 (04/23, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Dissecting Hidden-State Proofs of Quantumness”
In this session, subgroups created on 4/2 will continue their work and will report on their progress to the broader RIT participants for feedback. Specifically, participants will share a couple of journal papers that have informed their potential research questions/goals.
Session 7 (04/16, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Dissecting Hidden-State Proofs of Quantumness”
In this session, subgroups created on 4/2 will continue their work and will report on their progress to the broader RIT participants for feedback. Specifically, participants will share potential research questions/goals that they’ve come up with.
Session 6 (04/09, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Dissecting Hidden-State Proofs of Quantumness”
In this session, subgroups created on 4/2 will continue their work and will report on their progress to the broader RIT participants for feedback.
Session 5 (04/02, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Dissecting Hidden-State Proofs of Quantumness”
In this session, we will break out into subgroups to work through the mathematics in the paper “Hidden-State Proofs of Quantumness” (https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.06368). The mid-term goal of this exercise for the rest of the semester will be for groups to come up with new research directions based on the paper’s mathematical
Each group will have at least one person with familiarity in cryptography familiarity to guide the process.
Participants should read the paper before the session, but are not expected to have grasped all of its concepts.
Session 4 (03/12, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“The Quantum Information Processing 2025 Conference”
Participants are encouraged to bring laptop computers to this session.
The goal of this session is to find interesting mathematical content in the papers that were featured in the QIP 2025 conference last month. The session will open with a report from Carl Miller about talks that he attended at QIP 2025. Links to some online papers from the conference will be provided, and then attendees will be invited to work together to summarize the math from these papers. We will try to identify avenues for future research.
Session 3 (03/05, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Shor’s Algorithm, Part II (of II)” - Larry Washington
In 1994, the field of quantum computing had a significant breakthrough when Peter Shor introduced a quantum algorithm that factors integers in (probabilistic) polynomial time. In these talks, I’ll explain the mathematical aspects of Shor’s algorithm.
Session 3 (02/26, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Shor’s Algorithm, Part I (of II)” - Larry Washington
In 1994, the field of quantum computing had a significant breakthrough when Peter Shor introduced a quantum algorithm that factors integers in (probabilistic) polynomial time. In these talks, I’ll explain the mathematical aspects of Shor’s algorithm.
Part II will follow on 3/5.
Session 2 (02/12, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Hidden-State Proofs of Quantumness and the Discrete Fourier Transform” - Carl Miller
A cryptographic proof of quantumness is a hypothetical test that could be used to prove a quantum computational advantage based on hardness assumptions from cryptography. An experimental realization of such a test would be a major milestone in the development of quantum computation. However, error tolerance is a persistent challenge for implementing such tests: we need a test that not only can be passed by an efficient quantum prover, but one that can be passed by a prover that exhibits a certain amount of computational error. In this talk I will present a technique for improving the error-tolerance in a cryptographic proof of quantumness. The technique is based on hiding a Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state within a sequence of classical bits. After giving an overview of this new approach, I will discuss one of the central tools used in the security proof: a strengthened uncertainty principle for the discrete Fourier transform.
Reference: C. Miller, “Hidden-State Proofs of Quantumness,” https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.06368
Session 1 (02/05, 1pm, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Intro and Logistics”
This organizational meeting will involve
- an overview of the Spring 2025 format, which aims to encourage interaction and networking between participants
- feedback from participants about topics of interest
- choosing speaking slots for the rest of the semester