The variational quantum algorithms are crucial for the application of NISQ computers. Such algorithms require short quantum circuits, which are more amenable to implementation on near-term hardware, and many such methods have been developed. One of particular interest is the so-called variational quantum state diagonalization method, which constitutes an important algorithmic subroutine and can be used directly to work with data encoded in quantum states. In particular, it can be applied to discern the features of quantum states, such as entanglement properties of a system, or in quantum machine learning algorithms. In this work, we tackle the problem of designing a very shallow quantum circuit, required in the quantum state diagonalization task, by utilizing reinforcement learning (RL). We use a novel encoding method for the RL-state, a dense reward function, and an $\epsilon$-greedy policy to achieve this. We demonstrate that the circuits proposed by the reinforcement learning methods are shallower than the standard variational quantum state diagonalization algorithm and thus can be used in situations where hardware capabilities limit the depth of quantum circuits. The methods we propose in the paper can be readily adapted to address a wide range of variational quantum algorithms.
Immersed boundary methods are high-order accurate computational tools used to model geometrically complex problems in computational mechanics. While traditional finite element methods require the construction of high-quality boundary-fitted meshes, immersed boundary methods instead embed the computational domain in a background grid. Interpolation-based immersed boundary methods augment existing finite element software to non-invasively implement immersed boundary capabilities through extraction. Extraction interpolates the background basis as a linear combination of Lagrange polynomials defined on a foreground mesh, creating an interpolated basis that can be easily integrated by existing methods. This work extends the interpolation-based immersed boundary method to multi-material and multi-physics problems. Beginning from level-set descriptions of domain geometries, Heaviside enrichment is implemented to accommodate discontinuities in state variable fields across material interfaces. Adaptive refinement with truncated hierarchical B-splines is used to both improve interface geometry representations and resolve large solution gradients near interfaces. Multi-physics problems typically involve coupled fields where each field has unique discretization requirements. This work presents a novel discretization method for coupled problems through the application of extraction, using a single foreground mesh for all fields. Numerical examples illustrate optimal convergence rates for this method in both 2D and 3D, for heat conduction, linear elasticity, and a coupled thermo-mechanical problem. The utility of this method is demonstrated through image-based analysis of a composite sample, where in addition to circumventing typical meshing difficulties, this method reduces the required degrees of freedom compared to classical boundary-fitted finite element methods.
This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the optimization and performance evaluation of various routing algorithms within the context of computer networks. Routing algorithms are critical for determining the most efficient path for data transmission between nodes in a network. The efficiency, reliability, and scalability of a network heavily rely on the choice and optimization of its routing algorithm. This paper begins with an overview of fundamental routing strategies, including shortest path, flooding, distance vector, and link state algorithms, and extends to more sophisticated techniques.
Randomized matrix algorithms have become workhorse tools in scientific computing and machine learning. To use these algorithms safely in applications, they should be coupled with posterior error estimates to assess the quality of the output. To meet this need, this paper proposes two diagnostics: a leave-one-out error estimator for randomized low-rank approximations and a jackknife resampling method to estimate the variance of the output of a randomized matrix computation. Both of these diagnostics are rapid to compute for randomized low-rank approximation algorithms such as the randomized SVD and randomized Nystr\"om approximation, and they provide useful information that can be used to assess the quality of the computed output and guide algorithmic parameter choices.
Living organisms interact with their surroundings in a closed-loop fashion, where sensory inputs dictate the initiation and termination of behaviours. Even simple animals are able to develop and execute complex plans, which has not yet been replicated in robotics using pure closed-loop input control. We propose a solution to this problem by defining a set of discrete and temporary closed-loop controllers, called "tasks", each representing a closed-loop behaviour. We further introduce a supervisory module which has an innate understanding of physics and causality, through which it can simulate the execution of task sequences over time and store the results in a model of the environment. On the basis of this model, plans can be made by chaining temporary closed-loop controllers. The proposed framework was implemented for a real robot and tested in two scenarios as proof of concept.
We propose a simple network of Hawkes processes as a cognitive model capable of learning to classify objects. Our learning algorithm, named HAN for Hawkes Aggregation of Neurons, is based on a local synaptic learning rule based on spiking probabilities at each output node. We were able to use local regret bounds to prove mathematically that the network is able to learn on average and even asymptotically under more restrictive assumptions.
We propose a novel algorithm for the support estimation of partially known Gaussian graphical models that incorporates prior information about the underlying graph. In contrast to classical approaches that provide a point estimate based on a maximum likelihood or a maximum a posteriori criterion using (simple) priors on the precision matrix, we consider a prior on the graph and rely on annealed Langevin diffusion to generate samples from the posterior distribution. Since the Langevin sampler requires access to the score function of the underlying graph prior, we use graph neural networks to effectively estimate the score from a graph dataset (either available beforehand or generated from a known distribution). Numerical experiments demonstrate the benefits of our approach.
The Knowledge Till rho CONGEST model is a variant of the classical CONGEST model of distributed computing in which each vertex v has initial knowledge of the radius-rho ball centered at v. The most commonly studied variants of the CONGEST model are KT0 CONGEST in which nodes initially know nothing about their neighbors and KT1 CONGEST in which nodes initially know the IDs of all their neighbors. It has been shown that having access to neighbors' IDs (as in the KT1 CONGEST model) can substantially reduce the message complexity of algorithms for fundamental problems such as BROADCAST and MST. For example, King, Kutten, and Thorup (PODC 2015) show how to construct an MST using just Otilde(n) messages in the KT1 CONGEST model, whereas there is an Omega(m) message lower bound for MST in the KT0 CONGEST model. Building on this result, Gmyr and Pandurangen (DISC 2018) present a family of distributed randomized algorithms for various global problems that exhibit a trade-off between message and round complexity. These algorithms are based on constructing a sparse, spanning subgraph called a danner. Specifically, given a graph G and any delta in [0,1], their algorithm constructs (with high probability) a danner that has diameter Otilde(D + n^{1-delta}) and Otilde(min{m,n^{1+delta}}) edges in Otilde(n^{1-delta}) rounds while using Otilde(min{m,n^{1+\delta}}) messages, where n, m, and D are the number of nodes, edges, and the diameter of G, respectively. In the main result of this paper, we show that if we assume the KT2 CONGEST model, it is possible to substantially improve the time-message trade-off in constructing a danner. Specifically, we show in the KT2 CONGEST model, how to construct a danner that has diameter Otilde(D + n^{1-2delta}) and Otilde(min{m,n^{1+delta}}) edges in Otilde(n^{1-2delta}) rounds while using Otilde(min{m,n^{1+\delta}}) messages for any delta in [0,1/2].
We study the problem of selecting $k$ experiments from a larger candidate pool, where the goal is to maximize mutual information (MI) between the selected subset and the underlying parameters. Finding the exact solution is to this combinatorial optimization problem is computationally costly, not only due to the complexity of the combinatorial search but also the difficulty of evaluating MI in nonlinear/non-Gaussian settings. We propose greedy approaches based on new computationally inexpensive lower bounds for MI, constructed via log-Sobolev inequalities. We demonstrate that our method outperforms random selection strategies, Gaussian approximations, and nested Monte Carlo (NMC) estimators of MI in various settings, including optimal design for nonlinear models with non-additive noise.
Mass lumping techniques are commonly employed in explicit time integration schemes for problems in structural dynamics and both avoid solving costly linear systems with the consistent mass matrix and increase the critical time step. In isogeometric analysis, the critical time step is constrained by so-called "outlier" frequencies, representing the inaccurate high frequency part of the spectrum. Removing or dampening these high frequencies is paramount for fast explicit solution techniques. In this work, we propose robust mass lumping and outlier removal techniques for nontrivial geometries, including multipatch and trimmed geometries. Our lumping strategies provably do not deteriorate (and often improve) the CFL condition of the original problem and are combined with deflation techniques to remove persistent outlier frequencies. Numerical experiments reveal the advantages of the method, especially for simulations covering large time spans where they may halve the number of iterations with little or no effect on the numerical solution.
Learning unknown stochastic differential equations (SDEs) from observed data is a significant and challenging task with applications in various fields. Current approaches often use neural networks to represent drift and diffusion functions, and construct likelihood-based loss by approximating the transition density to train these networks. However, these methods often rely on one-step stochastic numerical schemes, necessitating data with sufficiently high time resolution. In this paper, we introduce novel approximations to the transition density of the parameterized SDE: a Gaussian density approximation inspired by the random perturbation theory of dynamical systems, and its extension, the dynamical Gaussian mixture approximation (DynGMA). Benefiting from the robust density approximation, our method exhibits superior accuracy compared to baseline methods in learning the fully unknown drift and diffusion functions and computing the invariant distribution from trajectory data. And it is capable of handling trajectory data with low time resolution and variable, even uncontrollable, time step sizes, such as data generated from Gillespie's stochastic simulations. We then conduct several experiments across various scenarios to verify the advantages and robustness of the proposed method.