English

Q# as a Quantum Algorithmic Language

Programming Languages 2023-11-16 v2 Emerging Technologies Logic in Computer Science Quantum Physics

Abstract

Q# is a standalone domain-specific programming language from Microsoft for writing and running quantum programs. Like most industrial languages, it was designed without a formal specification, which can naturally lead to ambiguity in its interpretation. We aim to provide a formal language definition for Q#, placing the language on a solid mathematical foundation and enabling further evolution of its design and type system. This paper presents λ\lambda-Q#, an idealized version of Q# that illustrates how we may view Q# as a quantum Algol (algorithmic language). We show the safety properties enforced by λ\lambda-Q#'s type system and present its equational semantics based on a fully complete algebraic theory by Staton.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2206.03532,
  title  = {Q# as a Quantum Algorithmic Language},
  author = {Kartik Singhal and Kesha Hietala and Sarah Marshall and Robert Rand},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2206.03532},
  year   = {2023}
}

Comments

In Proceedings QPL 2022, arXiv:2311.08375