Solving Differential Equations Using Continuous-Variable Quantum Annealing

Most existing quantum annealing approaches are formulated for qubit-based architectures. Consequently, applying them to continuous-variable optimization problems requires discretizing the variables, which can incur substantial qubit overhead. Continuous-variable quantum annealing based on bosonic systems has recently been proposed as an alternative framework, in which each optimization variable is directly encoded in a bosonic mode, such as a cavity mode. In this work, we develop a continuous-variable quantum annealing formulation for solving linear differential equations. By recasting the determination of the solution as a continuous-variable optimization problem, the differential equation can be mapped onto an objective function compatible with bosonic quantum annealing. Numerical simulations of second-order linear differential equations demonstrate that, under the conditions considered, the proposed formulation reproduces the corresponding analytical solutions. These results establish a potential route toward solving differential equations without the discretization overhead inherent in qubit-based implementations.