Trotter-based quantum algorithm for solving transport equations with exponentially fewer time-steps
Abstract
The extent to which quantum computers can simulate physical phenomena and solve the partial differential equations (PDEs) that govern them remains a central open question. In this work, one of the most fundamental PDEs is addressed: the multidimensional transport equation with space- and time-dependent coefficients. We present a quantum numerical scheme based on three steps: quantum state preparation, evolution, and measurement of relevant observables. The evolution step combines a high-order centered finite difference with a time-splitting scheme based on product formula approximations, also known as Trotterization. We introduce novel vector-norm analysis and prove that the number of time-steps can be reduced by a factor exponential in the number of qubits compared to previously established operator-norm analysis, thereby significantly lowering the projected computational resources. We also present efficient quantum circuits and numerical simulations that confirm the predicted vector-norm scaling. We report results on real quantum hardware for the one-dimensional convection equation, and solve a non-linear ordinary differential equation via its associated Liouville equation, a particular case of transport equations. This work provides a practical framework for efficiently simulating transport phenomena on quantum computers, with potential applications in plasma physics, molecular gas dynamics and non-linear dynamical systems, including chaotic systems.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2508.15691,
title = {Trotter-based quantum algorithm for solving transport equations with exponentially fewer time-steps},
author = {Julien Zylberman and Thibault Fredon and Nuno F. Loureiro and Fabrice Debbasch},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.15691},
year = {2025}
}