Compilation and cost-reduction of quantum computations via ZX-calculus
PI: Bob Coecke
Department: Computer Science
Quantum computing is moving rapidly to the point of deployment of real-life technology. Current projections expect the quantum computing market to surpass $150 billion by 2027, driven by the extraordinary promise of quantum computing, including exponentially faster algorithms and computational tasks that don't even have a counterpart in traditional computing. Together with AI, quantum computing has been singled out as the future technology with the greatest transformational potential.
Like conventional computing, quantum computing involves hardware and software with a compiler in between. As in traditional computing, the efficiency of the compiler is vital, since otherwise the algorithmic gain could get lost in the translation from theory to practical implementation. However, unlike conventional computers which have a well-established hardware architecture, quantum computers may take many different forms, which substantially stretches the role of the compiler, also having to mediate between entirely different physical devices.
This project is concerned both with the efficiency and the flexibility of the compiler, so its success would play a pivotal role in quantum computers becoming part of the ‘real world’, and hence realise their potential as one of the two most promising transformational technologies for the future.