QAOA For Traffic Jams: A Hybrid Quantum Algorithm Approach
According to an arXiv post by Ford Motor Company and the University of Melbourne, a hybrid quantum algorithm can minimize traffic bottlenecks
One of the most promising instruments in the present quantum toolbox, the Quantum Approximate Optimisation Algorithm, or QAOA, is the focus of the study
The end product is a cost function that can be solved with QAOA and mapped onto a quantum system
The group found affordable fixes using QAOA after encoding. QAOA circuits use alternative layers of quantum gates and require careful parameter adjustments
The researchers used IBM’s quantum hardware to run its QAOA circuits after confirming their methodology in simulations
The researchers developed a variation known as Connectivity-Forced QAOA (CF-QAOA) to counteract this, removing the need for SWAP operations in two-qubit gates
The report does concede, though, that these advancements won’t make things better in the future because current quantum gear is still a constraint
In the end, the study makes a strong argument for hybrid quantum optimisation as a useful technique for real-world issues like traffic control