Gate-Based Quantum Computers and Quantum Annealers have the potential to find better solutions faster than current solvers. The first step in moving towards this potential is to identify relevant business problems and get experience from posing those problems in a form that can be executed in a quantum device – no improvement to speed or quality can be expected by simply carrying over current solvers to quantum devices as the underlying problem needs to be re-cast in a form that can efficiently run on a quantum device. One possible problem formulation for optimization problems is QUBO, Quadratic Unconstrained Optimization Problems, which can run on both Gate-Based Quantum Computers and Quantum Annealers and be solved on classical computers using for instance simulated annealing.
Astrid Kyhl, Senior Director, Head of Advanced Analytics, TDC Net