Topcoder Quantum Computing Challenge Series
Overview
Welcome to Topcoder’s new Quantum computing challenge series!
Are you interested in Quantum Computing, but haven’t had a chance to get to know better yet? Do you want to get in touch with the world’s newest technology that one could possibly imagine? Then here is your chance!
Fujitsu - the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company has just announced the launch of their Quantum-inspired computer called “Digital Annealer” ( denoted as DA in this challenge series)
DA uses a digital circuit design inspired by quantum phenomena. DA is a new computer architecture that focuses on rapidly solving combinatorial optimization problems. It can solve difficult problems within several seconds that take classical computers a considerable amount of time to process.
Since DA is built using existing semiconductor technology, it operates stably at normal temperatures without requiring a special cooling system. Digital Annealer has demonstrated a great ability to practically solve various combinatorial optimization problems which require large-scale computations and a high accuracy.
Fujitsu is pairing up with Topcoder to run several challenges where you will be able to learn some basics of the Quantum computing technology. You should be able to understand its programming methodology and be able to solve a basic real-world problem in an actual challenge.
Topcoder Challenge Series Overview
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3 Learning Challenges
- Where you will be able to start learning the basics by following the tutorial.
- The initial 30 members who have successfully submitted the code without errors are entitled to win $50 prize money. Successful winners will be chosen after the challenge submission phase.
- Note that you can only submit code, run it on DA, and see the actual results during the challenge submission phase. This means that DA will NOT be available for you to touch other than the submission phase of the challenges.
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A Marathon Match
- Around March of 2019, we will run a Marathon Match where you are asked to solve a real-world problem using DA. The total prizes are more than $11k to our top winners!
We hope you enjoy the new world of computing, where impossible could now become possible. Good Luck!
Digital Annealer Introduction
Reference
Quantum Annealing 101
Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer (DA), created based on the Quantum Annealing methodology, can efficiently solve the most difficult problems that traditional computers cannot. DA is a specially designed system that is different from the normal CPU based computer which can solve complex problems using the so-called Annealing algorithm.
Links:
- Quantum Annealing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_annealing
- Simulated Annealing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulated_annealing
Here are the points when solving problems using Annealing technique;
- Annealing is an algorithm technique for approximating the global optimum of a given function.
- DA will solve the problem using a specific system that can process and give results of annealing algorithm.
- DA can solve problems that can be modeled as a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problem, which is a variation of the Ising model.
The key to solving a problem in DA is to transform the specific problem into a correct QUBO and then send this QUBO formulation to DA.
The newest DA is capable to solve up to 8192 bits of problem space, meaning the DA API can return results of 8192 bits. We will be limiting to solve up to 1024 bits for these challenge series.
You will learn more about Ising Model and QUBO as you proceed with the learning challenges, but in short, you will be providing mathematical equations to solve problems.
Links: