Parameter Transfers for Warm-Started QAOA

Julian Obst, Felix Truger, Johanna Barzen, Frank Leymann

2025

Abstract

Variational Quantum Algorithms (VQAs) run shallow parameterized quantum circuits on quantum devices and are thus suitable for current limited hardware. However, adverse effects like barren plateaus and local optima may hinder the classical parameter optimization. Warm-starting techniques attempt to alleviate such problems by utilizing pre-computed approximations or known solutions to initialize VQAs. In this work, we analyze a combination of two different kinds of warm-starts, based on biased initial states and parameter transfers, respectively. In particular, we investigate a warm-started variant of the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (WS-QAOA) applied to the MAXCUT problem and analyze the transferability of optimized parameter values between random graphs. We leverage their decomposition into subgraphs and regularities among these subgraphs to facilitate parameter transfers for WS-QAOA and demonstrate a transfer for a random graph.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Obst J., Truger F., Barzen J. and Leymann F. (2025). Parameter Transfers for Warm-Started QAOA. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Quantum Software - Volume 1: IQSOFT; ISBN 978-989-758-761-0, SciTePress, pages 37-48. DOI: 10.5220/0013539300004525

in Bibtex Style

@conference{iqsoft25,
author={Julian Obst and Felix Truger and Johanna Barzen and Frank Leymann},
title={Parameter Transfers for Warm-Started QAOA},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Quantum Software - Volume 1: IQSOFT},
year={2025},
pages={37-48},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013539300004525},
isbn={978-989-758-761-0},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Quantum Software - Volume 1: IQSOFT
TI - Parameter Transfers for Warm-Started QAOA
SN - 978-989-758-761-0
AU - Obst J.
AU - Truger F.
AU - Barzen J.
AU - Leymann F.
PY - 2025
SP - 37
EP - 48
DO - 10.5220/0013539300004525
PB - SciTePress