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Qunity: A Unified Language for Quantum and Classical Computing

Authors:

Michael HicksAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages, Volume 7, Issue POPL

Article No.: 32, Pages 921 - 951

https://doi.org/10.1145/3571225

Published: 11 January 2023 Publication History

Abstract

We introduce Qunity, a new quantum programming language designed to treat quantum computing as a natural generalization of classical computing. Qunity presents a unified syntax where familiar programming constructs can have both quantum and classical effects. For example, one can use sum types to implement the direct sum of linear operators, exception-handling syntax to implement projective measurements, and aliasing to induce entanglement. Further, Qunity takes advantage of the overlooked BQP subroutine theorem, allowing one to construct reversible subroutines from irreversible quantum algorithms through the uncomputation of "garbage" outputs. Unlike existing languages that enable quantum aspects with separate add-ons (like a classical language with quantum gates bolted on), Qunity provides a unified syntax and a novel denotational semantics that guarantees that programs are quantum mechanically valid. We present Qunity's syntax, type system, and denotational semantics, showing how it can cleanly express several quantum algorithms. We also detail how Qunity can be compiled into a low-level qubit circuit language like OpenQASM, proving the realizability of our design.

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages

Proceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages Volume 7, Issue POPL

January 2023

2196 pages

EISSN:2475-1421

DOI:10.1145/3554308

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Association for Computing Machinery

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Publication History

Published: 11 January 2023

Published in PACMPL Volume 7, Issue POPL

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Cited By

Venev HGehr TDimitrov DVechev M(2024)Modular Synthesis of Efficient Quantum UncomputationProceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages10.1145/36897858:OOPSLA2(2097-2124)Online publication date: 8-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689785
Wright CLuján MPetoumenos PGoodacre JErtl MKirsch C(2024)Quff: A Dynamically Typed Hybrid Quantum-Classical Programming LanguageProceedings of the 21st ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Managed Programming Languages and Runtimes10.1145/3679007.3685063(65-81)Online publication date: 13-Sep-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3679007.3685063
Yuan CCarbin M(2024)The T-Complexity Costs of Error Correction for Control Flow in Quantum ComputationProceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages10.1145/36563978:PLDI(492-517)Online publication date: 20-Jun-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3656397
Yuan CVillanyi ACarbin M(2024)Quantum Control Machine: The Limits of Control Flow in Quantum ProgrammingProceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages10.1145/36498118:OOPSLA1(1-28)Online publication date: 29-Apr-2024
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Poonam Mehta VAlrashidi MMangla MRakhra MSharma N(2024)A Review on Prediction and Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorders Using Quantum Machine Learning Classifier2024 International Conference on Cybernation and Computation (CYBERCOM)10.1109/CYBERCOM63683.2024.10803194(493-498)Online publication date: 15-Nov-2024
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Kudelić R(2024)On the theory of quantum and towards practical computation: A reviewJournal of Computational Science10.1016/j.jocs.2024.10245483(102454)Online publication date: Dec-2024
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(2024)ReferencesFoundations of Quantum Programming10.1016/B978-0-44-315942-8.00030-7(435-447)Online publication date: 2024
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-44-315942-8.00030-7
Ying M(2024)IntroductionFoundations of Quantum Programming10.1016/B978-0-44-315942-8.00009-5(1-9)Online publication date: 2024
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-44-315942-8.00009-5
Yan PJiang HYu N(2024)Approximate Relational Reasoning for Quantum ProgramsComputer Aided Verification10.1007/978-3-031-65633-0_22(495-519)Online publication date: 24-Jul-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-031-65633-0_22
Mauerer W(2024)Superoperators for Quantum Software EngineeringQuantum Software10.1007/978-3-031-64136-7_3(45-68)Online publication date: 23-Aug-2024
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