English

NP in BQP with Nonlinearity

Quantum Physics 2007-05-23 v3

Abstract

If one modifies the laws of Quantum Mechanics to allow nonlinear evolution of quantum states, this paper shows that NP-complete problems would be efficiently solvable in polynomial time with bounded probability (NP in BQP). With that (admittedly very unlikely) assumption, this is demonstrated by describing a polynomially large network of quantum gates that solves the 3SAT problem with bounded probability in polynomial time. As in a previous paper by Abrams and Lloyd (but by a somewhat simpler argument), allowing nonlinearity in the laws of Quantum Mechanics would prove the "weak Church-Turing thesis" to be false. General Relativity is suggested as a possible mechanism to supply the necessary nonlinearity.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.quant-ph/9804025,
  title  = {NP in BQP with Nonlinearity},
  author = {Phil Gossett},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/9804025},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

8 pages, no figures, several bugs fixed, added GR nonlinearity mechanism