Languages recognized with unbounded error by quantum finite automata

Two-tape finite automata with quantum and classical states

{\it Two-way finite automata with quantum and classical states} (2QCFA) were introduced by Ambainis and Watrous, and {\it two-way two-tape deterministic finite automata} (2TFA) were introduced by Rabin and Scott. In this paper we study 2TFA and propose a new computing model called {\it two-way two-tape finite automata with quantum and classical states} (2TQCFA). First, we give efficient 2TFA algorithms for recognizing languages which can be recognized by 2QCFA. Second, we give efficient 2TQCFA algorithms to recognize several languages whose status vis-a-vis 2QCFA have been posed as open questi…

Power of the interactive proof systems with verifiers modeled by semi-quantum two-way finite automata

In this paper we explore the power of AM for the case that verifiers are {\em two-way finite automata with quantum and classical states} (2QCFA)--introduced by Ambainis and Watrous in 2002--and the communications are classical. It is of interest to consider AM with such "semi-quantum" verifiers because they use only limited quantum resources. Our main result is that such Quantum Arthur-Merlin proof systems (QAM(2QCFA)) with polynomial expected running time are more powerful than in the case verifiers are two-way probabilistic finite automata (AM(2PFA)) with polynomial expected running time. Mo…

Exact results for accepting probabilities of quantum automata

One of the properties of Kondacs-Watrous model of quantum finite automata (QFA) is that the probability of the correct answer for a QFA cannot be amplified arbitrarily. In this paper, we determine the maximum probabilities achieved by QFAs for several languages. In particular, we show that any language that is not recognized by an RFA (reversible finite automaton) can be recognized by a QFA with probability at most 0.7726...

Quantum Finite Automata and Probabilistic Reversible Automata: R-trivial Idempotent Languages

We study the recognition of R-trivial idempotent (R1) languages by various models of "decide-and-halt" quantum finite automata (QFA) and probabilistic reversible automata (DH-PRA). We introduce bistochastic QFA (MM-BQFA), a model which generalizes both Nayak's enhanced QFA and DH-PRA. We apply tools from algebraic automata theory and systems of linear inequalities to give a complete characterization of R1 languages recognized by all these models. We also find that "forbidden constructions" known so far do not include all of the languages that cannot be recognized by measure-many QFA.

具有固定截断点的识别不可数多种语言的最小概率和量子有限自动机

The minimal probabilistic and quantum finite automata recognizing uncountably many languages with fixed cutpoints

本文针对固定截断点，证明了2状态二元和3状态一元概率有限自动机及2状态一元量子有限自动机可识别不可数多种语言，并给出了新构造。

Unbounded-error quantum computation with small space bounds

We prove the following facts about the language recognition power of quantum Turing machines (QTMs) in the unbounded error setting: QTMs are strictly more powerful than probabilistic Turing machines for any common space bound $ s $ satisfying $ s(n)=o(\log \log n) $. For "one-way" Turing machines, where the input tape head is not allowed to move left, the above result holds for $s(n)=o(\log n) $. We also give a characterization for the class of languages recognized with unbounded error by real-time quantum finite automata (QFAs) with restricted measurements. It turns out that these automata ar…

One-dimensional quantum cellular automata over finite, unbounded configurations

One-dimensional quantum cellular automata (QCA) consist in a line of identical, finite dimensional quantum systems. These evolve in discrete time steps according to a local, shift-invariant unitary evolution. By local we mean that no instantaneous long-range communication can occur. In order to define these over a Hilbert space we must restrict to a base of finite, yet unbounded configurations. We show that QCA always admit a two-layered block representation, and hence the inverse QCA is again a QCA. This is a striking result since the property does not hold for classical one-dimensional cellu…

Two-way Quantum One-counter Automata

After the first treatments of quantum finite state automata by Moore and Crutchfield and by Kondacs and Watrous, a number of papers study the power of quantum finite state automata and their variants. This paper introduces a model of two-way quantum one-counter automata (2Q1CAs), combining the model of two-way quantum finite state automata (2QFAs) by Kondacs and Watrous and the model of one-way quantum one-counter automata (1Q1CAs) by Kravtsev. We give the definition of 2Q1CAs with well-formedness conditions. It is proved that 2Q1CAs are at least as powerful as classical two-way deterministic …

Quantum Pushdown Automata

Quantum finite automata, as well as quantum pushdown automata (QPA) were first introduced by C. Moore and J. P. Crutchfield. In this paper we introduce the notion of QPA in a non-equivalent way, including unitarity criteria, by using the definition of quantum finite automata of Kondacs and Watrous. It is established that the unitarity criteria of QPA are not equivalent to the corresponding unitarity criteria of quantum Turing machines. We show that QPA can recognize every regular language. Finally we present some simple languages recognized by QPA, not recognizable by deterministic pushdown au…

One-way finite automata with quantum and classical states

In this paper, we introduce and explore a new model of {\it quantum finite automata} (QFA). Namely, {\it one-way finite automata with quantum and classical states} (1QCFA), a one way version of {\it two-way finite automata with quantum and classical states} (2QCFA) introduced by Ambainis and Watrous in 2002 \cite{AJ}. First, we prove that {\it one-way probabilistic finite automata} (1PFA) \cite{AP} and {\it one-way quantum finite automata with control language} (1QFACL) \cite{ACB} as well as several other models of QFA, can be simulated by 1QCFA. Afterwards, we explore several closure properti…

量子Büchi自动机

Quantum Büchi Automata

本文扩展量子有限自动机，提出量子Büchi自动机（QBAs）以建模无穷字上的量子系统长期行为，引入多种阈值语义下的$ω$-语言类，证明泵引理与闭包性质，并揭示其识别语言仅有至多四类实质不同的结构。

Decidable and undecidable problems about quantum automata

We study the following decision problem: is the language recognized by a quantum finite automaton empty or non-empty? We prove that this problem is decidable or undecidable depending on whether recognition is defined by strict or non-strict thresholds. This result is in contrast with the corresponding situation for probabilistic finite automata for which it is known that strict and non-strict thresholds both lead to undecidable problems.

Some observations on two-way finite automata with quantum and classical states

{\it Two-way finite automata with quantum and classical states} (2qcfa's) were introduced by Ambainis and Watrous. Though this computing model is more restricted than the usual {\it two-way quantum finite automata} (2qfa's) first proposed by Kondacs and Watrous, it is still more powerful than the classical counterpart. In this note, we focus on dealing with the operation properties of 2qcfa's. We prove that the Boolean operations (intersection, union, and complement) and the reversal operation of the class of languages recognized by 2qcfa's with error probabilities are closed; as well, we veri…

Complexity Bounds of Constant-Space Quantum Computation

We realize constant-space quantum computation by measure-many two-way quantum finite automata and evaluate their language recognition power by analyzing patterns of their exotic behaviors and by exploring their structural properties. In particular, we show that, when the automata halt "in finite steps" along all computation paths, they must terminate in worst-case liner time. In the bounded-error probability case, the acceptance of the automata depends only on the computation paths that terminate within exponentially many steps even if not all computation paths may terminate. We also present a…

Automata and Quantum Computing

Quantum computing is a new model of computation, based on quantum physics. Quantum computers can be exponentially faster than conventional computers for problems such as factoring. Besides full-scale quantum computers, more restricted models such as quantum versions of finite automata have been studied. In this paper, we survey various models of quantum finite automata and their properties. We also provide some open questions and new directions for researchers. Keywords: quantum finite automata, probabilistic finite automata, nondeterminism, bounded error, unbounded error, state complexity, de…

An algebraic study of unitary one dimensional quantum cellular automata

We provide algebraic criteria for the unitarity of linear quantum cellular automata, i.e. one dimensional quantum cellular automata. We derive these both by direct combinatorial arguments, and by adding constraints into the model which do not change the quantum cellular automata's computational power. The configurations we consider have finite but unbounded size.

On the class of languages recognizable by 1-way quantum finite automata

It is an open problem to characterize the class of languages recognized by quantum finite automata (QFA). We examine some necessary and some sufficient conditions for a (regular) language to be recognizable by a QFA. For a subclass of regular languages we get a condition which is necessary and sufficient. Also, we prove that the class of languages recognizable by a QFA is not closed under union or any other binary Boolean operation where both arguments are significant.

Quantum, Stochastic, and Pseudo Stochastic Languages with Few States

Stochastic languages are the languages recognized by probabilistic finite automata (PFAs) with cutpoint over the field of real numbers. More general computational models over the same field such as generalized finite automata (GFAs) and quantum finite automata (QFAs) define the same class. In 1963, Rabin proved the set of stochastic languages to be uncountable presenting a single 2-state PFA over the binary alphabet recognizing uncountably many languages depending on the cutpoint. In this paper, we show the same result for unary stochastic languages. Namely, we exhibit a 2-state unary GFA, a 2…

Quantum counter automata

The question of whether quantum real-time one-counter automata (rtQ1CAs) can outperform their probabilistic counterparts has been open for more than a decade. We provide an affirmative answer to this question, by demonstrating a non-context-free language that can be recognized with perfect soundness by a rtQ1CA. This is the first demonstration of the superiority of a quantum model to the corresponding classical one in the real-time case with an error bound less than 1. We also introduce a generalization of the rtQ1CA, the quantum one-way one-counter automaton (1Q1CA), and show that they too ar…

One-Way Reversible and Quantum Finite Automata with Advice

We examine the characteristic features of reversible and quantum computations in the presence of supplementary external information, known as advice. In particular, we present a simple, algebraic characterization of languages recognized by one-way reversible finite automata augmented with deterministic advice. With a further elaborate argument, we prove a similar but slightly weaker result for bounded-error one-way quantum finite automata with advice. Immediate applications of those properties lead to containments and separations among various language families when they are assisted by approp…

Exponentially more concise quantum recognition of non-RMM regular languages

We show that there are quantum devices that accept all regular languages and that are exponentially more concise than deterministic finite automata (DFA). For this purpose, we introduce a new computing model of {\it one-way quantum finite automata} (1QFA), namely, {\it one-way quantum finite automata together with classical states} (1QFAC), which extends naturally both measure-only 1QFA and DFA and whose state complexity is upper-bounded by both. The original contributions of the paper are the following. First, we show that the set of languages accepted by 1QFAC with bounded error consists pre…

交替、私有交替与量子交替实时自动机

Alternating, private alternating, and quantum alternating realtime automata

本文研究了交替、私有交替与量子交替实时自动机的空性问题，证明了多种模型下不可判定性，并展示了一元平方语言的可识别性。

Classical and quantum computation with small space bounds (PhD thesis)

In this thesis, we introduce a new quantum Turing machine (QTM) model that supports general quantum operators, together with its pushdown, counter, and finite automaton variants, and examine the computational power of classical and quantum machines using small space bounds in many different cases. The main contributions are summarized below. Firstly, we consider QTMs in the unbounded error setting: (i) in some cases of sublogarithmic space bounds, the class of languages recognized by QTMs is shown to be strictly larger than that of classical ones; (ii) in constant space bounds, the same result…

When is a Quantum Cellular Automaton (QCA) a Quantum Lattice Gas Automaton (QLGA)?

Quantum cellular automata (QCA) are models of quantum computation of particular interest from the point of view of quantum simulation. Quantum lattice gas automata (QLGA - equivalently partitioned quantum cellular automata) represent an interesting subclass of QCA. QLGA have been more deeply analyzed than QCA, whereas general QCA are likely to capture a wider range of quantum behavior. Discriminating between QLGA and QCA is therefore an important question. In spite of much prior work, classifying which QCA are QLGA has remained an open problem. In the present paper we establish necessary and s…

Affine computation and affine automaton

We introduce a quantum-like classical computational model, called affine computation, as a generalization of probabilistic computation. After giving the basics of affine computation, we define affine finite automata (AfA) and compare it with quantum and probabilistic finite automata (QFA and PFA, respectively) with respect to three basic language recognition modes. We show that, in the cases of bounded and unbounded error, AfAs are more powerful than QFAs and PFAs, and, in the case of nondeterministic computation, AfAs are more powerful than PFAs but equivalent to QFAs.

Turing-equivalent automata using a fixed-size quantum memory

In this paper, we introduce a new public quantum interactive proof system and the first quantum alternating Turing machine: qAM proof system and qATM, respectively. Both are obtained from their classical counterparts (Arthur-Merlin proof system and alternating Turing machine, respectively,) by augmenting them with a fixed-size quantum register. We focus on space-bounded computation, and obtain the following surprising results: Both of them with constant-space are Turing-equivalent. More specifically, we show that for any Turing-recognizable language, there exists a constant-space weak-qAM syst…

The Equivalence of Schrödinger and Heisenberg Pictures in Quantum Cellular Automata

Quantum cellular automata (QCA) are discrete models of space and time homogeneous quantum field theories (QFTs) and regarded as natural candidates for quantum simulation. Description of a QCA over the separable Hilbert space of finite, unbounded configurations (UFC Hilbert space) with unitary state evolution is the {\it Schrödinger template}, and over the incomplete infinite tensor product algebra (ITPA) with evolution by algebra automorphism is the {\it Heisenberg template}. Whether every Heisenberg template admits an equivalent Schrödinger template is a foundational question, and one that ha…

State complexity of one-way quantum finite automata together with classical states

One-way quantum finite automata together with classical states (1QFAC) proposed in [Journal of Computer and System Sciences 81(2) (2015) 359--375] is a new one-way quantum finite automata (1QFA) model that integrates quantum finite automata (QFA) and deterministic finite automata (DFA). This model uses classical states to control the evolution and measurement of quantum states. As a quantum-classical hybrid model, 1QFAC recognize all regular languages. It was shown that the state complexity of 1QFAC for some languages is essentially superior to that of DFA and other 1QFA. In this paper, our go…

State succinctness of two-way finite automata with quantum and classical states

{\it Two-way quantum automata with quantum and classical states} (2QCFA) were introduced by Ambainis and Watrous in 2002. In this paper we study state succinctness of 2QCFA. For any $m\in {\mathbb{Z}}^+$ and any $ε<1/2$, we show that: {enumerate} there is a promise problem $A^{eq}(m)$ which can be solved by a 2QCFA with one-sided error $ε$ in a polynomial expected running time with a constant number (that depends neither on $m$ nor on $\varepsilon$) of quantum states and $\mathbf{O}(\log{\frac{1}ε)}$ classical states, whereas the sizes of the corresponding {\it deterministic finite automata} (…

Promise problems solved by quantum and classical finite automata

The concept of promise problems was introduced and started to be systematically explored by Even, Selman, Yacobi, Goldreich, and other scholars. It has been argued that promise problems should be seen as partial decision problems and as such that they are more fundamental than decision problems and formal languages that used to be considered as the basic ones for complexity theory. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the promise problems accepted by classical, quantum and also semi-quantum finite automata. More specifically, we first introduce two acceptance modes of promise problems,…