IP Library Granted Patent US 11,386,346
Granted Patent B2
US 11,386,346 · App. 16/357,773 · Granted Jul 12, 2022

Systems and methods for quantum bayesian networks

Inventors: Yanbo Xue (Toronto, CA); William G. Macready (West Vancouver, CA)
Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
G06N10/00B82Y10/00G06N7/005G06N20/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,386,346
App. No.
16/357,773
Granted
Jul 12, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are provided for computing problems represented as directed graphical models via quantum processors with topologies and coupling physics which correspond to undirected graphs. These include techniques for generating approximations of Bayesian networks via a quantum processor capable of computing problems based on a Markov network-based representation of such problems. Approximations may be generated by moralization of Bayesian networks to Markov networks, learning of Bayesian networks' probability distributions by Markov networks' probability distributions, or otherwise, and are trained by executing the resulting Markov network on the quantum processor.

Claims (44)

1. A method for quantum computing given a problem represented by a Bayesian network, the method executed by circuitry including at least one processor, the at least one processor in communication with a quantum processor comprising a plurality of qubits and couplers, the couplers operable to symmetrically couple qubits, the method comprising:

obtaining a representation of the problem, the representation of the problem comprising a Bayesian network having a first plurality of nodes and a first plurality of directed edges;

transforming the Bayesian network to a Markov network having a second plurality of nodes and a second plurality of undirected edges;

transmitting the Markov network to the quantum processor and, by said transmitting, causing the quantum processor to execute based on the Markov network;

obtaining one or more samples from the quantum processor; and

determining one or more parameters of the Markov network based on the one or more samples to generate a parametrized Markov network; and

determining an approximation of a predicted solution for the problem based on the parametrized Markov network.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein transforming the Bayesian network to the Markov network comprises performing moralization of the Bayesian network, moralization comprising marrying parent nodes of the first plurality of nodes and removing directionality from the first plurality of edges.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein transforming the Bayesian network to the Markov network comprises forming the Markov network based on a subgraph of a graph induced by the quantum processor's qubits and couplers.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein forming the Markov network comprises forming a Boltzmann machine.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein forming a Boltzmann machine comprises forming a Chimera-structured restricted Boltzmann machine corresponding to a Chimera-structured topology of the quantum processor.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein transforming the Bayesian network to the Markov network comprises generating the Markov network based on a topology of the quantum processor and based on a size of the Bayesian network.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein determining one or more parameters of the Markov network comprises optimizing an objective function of the Bayesian network based on a joint probability distribution corresponding to the Bayesian network.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein determining one or more parameters of the Markov network comprises performing a positive phase of training based on a classically-tractable feature vector of the Bayesian network and performing a negative phase of training based on the one or more samples from the quantum processor.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the Markov network comprises a Boltzmann machine.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein causing the quantum processor to execute comprises causing the quantum processor to physically bias the plurality of qubits and plurality of couplers to correspond to the nodes and edges of the Markov network, and evolve a state of the quantum processor to generate the one or more samples.

11. A hybrid computational system, comprising:

a quantum processor comprising a plurality of qubits and couplers, the couplers operable to symmetrically couple qubits;

at least one processor in communication with the quantum processor; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium that stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data which, when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to execute a method having the following acts:

obtaining a representation of the problem, the representation of the problem comprising a Bayesian network having a first plurality of nodes and a first plurality of directed edges;

transforming the Bayesian network to a Markov network having a second plurality of nodes and a second plurality of undirected edges;

transmitting the Markov network to the quantum processor and, by said transmitting, causing the quantum processor to execute based on the Markov network;

obtaining one or more samples from the quantum processor; and

determining one or more parameters of the Markov network based on the one or more samples to generate a parametrized Markov network; and

determining an approximation of a predicted solution for the problem based on the parametrized Markov network.

12. The hybrid computing system according to claim 11 wherein transforming the Bayesian network to the Markov network comprises performing moralization of the Bayesian network, moralization comprising marrying parent nodes of the first plurality of nodes and removing directionality from the first plurality of edges.

13. The hybrid computing system according to claim 11 wherein transforming the Bayesian network to the Markov network comprises forming the Markov network based on a subgraph of a graph induced by the quantum processor's qubits and couplers.

14. The hybrid computing system according to claim 13 wherein forming the Markov network comprises forming a Boltzmann machine.

15. The hybrid computing system according to claim 14 wherein forming a Boltzmann machine comprises forming a Chimera-structured restricted Boltzmann machine corresponding to a Chimera-structured topology of the quantum processor.

16. The hybrid computing system according to claim 11 wherein transforming the Bayesian network to the Markov network comprises generating the Markov network based on a topology of the quantum processor and based on a size of the Bayesian network.

17. The hybrid computing system according to claim 16 wherein determining one or more parameters of the Markov network comprises optimizing an objective function of the Bayesian network based on a joint probability distribution corresponding to the Bayesian network.

18. The hybrid computing system according to claim 17 wherein determining one or more parameters of the Markov network comprises performing a positive phase of training based on a classically-tractable feature vector of the Bayesian network and performing a negative phase of training based on the one or more samples from the quantum processor.

19. The hybrid computing system according to claim 18 wherein the Markov network comprises a Boltzmann machine.

20. The hybrid computing system according to claim 11 wherein causing the quantum processor to execute comprises causing the quantum processor to physically bias the plurality of qubits and plurality of couplers to correspond to the nodes and edges of the Markov network, and evolve a state of the quantum processor to generate the one or more samples.

21. A computational system, comprising:

at least one processor in communication with a quantum processor; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium that stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data which, when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to execute a method having the following acts:

obtaining a representation of the problem, the representation of the problem comprising a Bayesian network having a first plurality of nodes and a first plurality of directed edges;

transforming the Bayesian network to a Markov network having a second plurality of nodes and a second plurality of undirected edges;

transmitting the Markov network to the quantum processor and, by said transmitting, causing the quantum processor to execute based on the Markov network;

obtaining one or more samples from the quantum processor; and

determining one or more parameters of the Markov network based on the one or more samples to generate a parametrized Markov network; and

determining an approximation of a predicted solution for the problem based on the parametrized Markov network.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2025
From: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; 1372934 B.C. LTD.
Reel/Frame 070470/0098 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 14, 2023
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; 1372934 B.C. LTD.
To: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063340/0888 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2022
From: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC., IN ITS CAPACITY AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 061493/0694 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2022
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
To: PSPIB UNITAS INVESTMENTS II INC.
Reel/Frame 059317/0871 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR AND ASSIGNEE (REMOVE COMMA) PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 057292 FRAME 0601. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CONTINUATION. Recorded Sep 22, 2021
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 057559/0746 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNOR (REMOVE COMMA) PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 057292 FRAME 0663. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Sep 22, 2021
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.; DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
To: DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 057559/0339 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY DATA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 057275 FRAME: 0658. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Sep 22, 2021
From: DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 057559/0394 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057275/0658 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS, INC.; DWSI HOLDINGS INC.; DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
To: DWSI HOLDINGS INC.
Reel/Frame 057292/0663 →
CONTINUATION Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: D-WAVE SYSTEMS, INC.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 057292/0601 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2019
From: XUE, YANBO; MACREADY, WILLIAM G.
To: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 049365/0436 →