English

StoqMA meets distribution testing

Quantum Physics 2021-06-23 v3 Computational Complexity

Abstract

StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA} captures the computational hardness of approximating the ground energy of local Hamiltonians that do not suffer the so-called sign problem. We provide a novel connection between StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA} and distribution testing via reversible circuits. First, we prove that easy-witness StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA} (viz. eStoqMA\mathsf{eStoqMA}, a sub-class of StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA}) is contained in MA\mathsf{MA}. Easy witness is a generalization of a subset state such that the associated set's membership can be efficiently verifiable, and all non-zero coordinates are not necessarily uniform. This sub-class eStoqMA\mathsf{eStoqMA} contains StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA} with perfect completeness (StoqMA1\mathsf{StoqMA}_1), which further signifies a simplified proof for StoqMA1MA\mathsf{StoqMA}_1 \subseteq \mathsf{MA} [BBT06, BT10]. Second, by showing distinguishing reversible circuits with ancillary random bits is StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA}-complete (as a comparison, distinguishing quantum circuits is QMA\mathsf{QMA}-complete [JWB05]), we construct soundness error reduction of StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA}. Additionally, we show that both variants of StoqMA\mathsf{StoqMA} that without any ancillary random bit and with perfect soundness are contained in NP\mathsf{NP}. Our results make a step towards collapsing the hierarchy MAStoqMASBP\mathsf{MA} \subseteq \mathsf{StoqMA} \subseteq \mathsf{SBP} [BBT06], in which all classes are contained in AM\mathsf{AM} and collapse to NP\mathsf{NP} under derandomization assumptions.

Cite

@article{arxiv.2011.05733,
  title  = {StoqMA meets distribution testing},
  author = {Yupan Liu},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.05733},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

24 pages. v2: mostly adds corrections and clarifications. v3: add a connection between eStoqMA and Guided Stoquastic Hamiltonian Problem

R2 v1 2026-06-23T20:04:51.665Z