The 2021 edition of the Symposium is organized as an on-line event due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
The annual meeting of the Editorial Boards of the
Reports on Mathematical Physics and Open Systems & Information Dynamics is planned on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, before lunch break.
A historic paper: the first collaboration with Computer Science at UKZN. Thank you Anban Pillay, Aidan Pellow-Jarman, and Ilya Sinayskiy.
Abstract: Variational hybrid quantum-classical algorithms are a class of quantum algorithms intended to run on noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices. These algorithms employ a parameterized quantum circuit (ansatz) and a quantum-classical feedback loop. A classical device is used to optimize the parameters in order to minimize a cost function that can be computed far more efficiently on a quantum device. The cost function is constructed such that finding the ansatz parameters that minimize its value, solves some problem of interest. We focus specifically on the variational quantum linear solver, and examine the effect of several gradient-free and gradient-based classical optimizers on performance. We focus on both the average rate of convergence of the classical optimizers studied, as well as the distribution of their average termination cost values, and how these are affected by noise. Our work demonstrates that realistic noise levels on NISQ devices present a challenge to the optimization process. All classical optimizers appear to be very negatively affected by the presence of realistic noise. If noise levels are significantly improved, there may be a good reason for preferring gradient-based methods in the future, which performed better than the gradient-free methods with only shot-noise present. The gradient-free optimizers, simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) and Powell’s method, and the gradient-based optimizers, AMSGrad and BFGS performed the best in the noisy simulation, and appear to be less affected by noise than the rest of the methods. SPSA appears to be the best performing method. COBYLA, Nelder–Mead and Conjugate- Gradient methods appear to be the most heavily affected by noise, with even slight noise levels significantly impacting their performance.
Implementing the NITheP (National Institute for Theoretical Physics) transition to the novel National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) has begun.
The next Zoom Roadshow event will be held at the Nelson Mandela University on the 3rd of June at 13h15.
Next to Theoretical Physics, the novel Institute will support research, training and engagement for Mathematics, Statistics, Astrophysics and Astronomy, Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology, Quantitative Finance, Earth System & Climate Modelling, and Data Science.
This is an open invitation for anyone at Nelson Mandela University to attend the Zoom presentation. Any other interested parties are also most welcome to attend the session.
COVID pandemic has called for a faster transition towards the digitalization of services and data as key factor to manage societal needs, sustain economic growth, develop local communities, balance inequalities. The digital transformation is ignited by the creation and use of scientific hubs and infrastructures dedicated to Artificial Intelligence (AI), High Performance Computing (HPC) and Big Data. Digital infrastructures are developed by establishing key collaborations between public institutions and private enterprises. The goal is to create state of the art, world class national modern hubs under a coordinated strategic perspective. South Africa and Italy are currently moving along this direction.
It has long been suspected that the consistency of quantum gravity puts constraints on what kinds of symmetries are possible in nature. In this talk Daniel Harrow will review some of these conjectures, and then explain how they can be derived in the special case of negative cosmological constant and also more generally given certain assumptions about the quantum mechanics of black holes.
I have compiled a bibliography on Open Quantum Walks. You can find it here. Should I have missed your paper on Open Quantum Walks please send me an email with the reference and I will add it to the bibliography.
My colleague and friend Ilya shared this very simple and tasty recipe from the Russian website lchf.ru. Google translate did the rest!
I adapted the recipe slightly for the ingredients that we had at home. The recipe is very “stable”: it can be easily modified to accommodate whatever seeds and nuts you have in the pantry!
What you need is the following:
2 eggs
65g flax seeds
40g sunflower seeds
65g sesame seeds
50g almond flour
30g chia seeds
The procedure is very simple. Put the eggs in a glass Pyrex bowl and whip them with the electric beater. Gently add the other ingredients and keep mixing. Flatten the dough on a Silpat mat until it has the thickness of a biscuit, sprinkle it with sea salt. Gently cut the dough into squares. 4 times 5 should do the trick.
Bake for 10 minutes at 220 C degrees. Switch off the oven.
Leave in the still warm oven for another 10-15 minutes until dry. Monitor the biscuit as you do not want it to get very dark. Take then out of the oven again and let it cool.
It has been a while, since I updated the blog. This does not mean that we have not been eating! On the contrary, Tim’s steaming chicken is now a classic in our household.
A quick review of the ingredients: 2 T Tamari, 1T Ginger, 1/2 c grapeseed oil, 1/4 c chopped scallion, 2 chicken breasts and pak choi (Tim uses bok choi).
The preparation is straightforward. Preferably, you start with the sauce the night before, but a last minute job does the trick. Just combine tamari, the grated ginger, the chopped scallions and the oil and let it sit until the chicken is ready.
Now, cut the chicken breasts in halves (lengthwise) and place them in the steamer.
On the second level of the steamer you place the pak choi.
The chicken should cook in 15 minutes (check before serving) and dinner is ready.