BQP 2026-10-06
BQP is the class of promise problems decided by uniform polynomial-size quantum circuits with bounded error. Completeness and soundness are conventional; BQP error reduction shows that other fixed separated thresholds give the same class.
BQP error reduction 2026-10-06
Independent runs of a BQP algorithm with fresh ancilla qubits can be combined by a classical threshold rule. If completeness exceeds soundness by , a Hoeffding inequality bounds the error after runs by . Polynomial repetition handles inverse-polynomial gaps. This does not automatically preserve the restricted gate and measurement rules of a stoquastic circuit.
BQP consists of promise problems decided by a uniform family of polynomial-size quantum circuits. On input , with polynomially many zero-initialized ancilla qubits, a designated output measurement accepts with probability at least on YES inputs and at most on NO inputs. Uniformity means a classical polynomial-time procedure produces the quantum circuit description from the input length, or equivalently produces the verifier quantum circuit with supplied as input.
For BQP error reduction, run independent copies with freshly initialized registers. If the completeness and soundness thresholds are any constants , accept when the fraction of accepting trials exceeds . A Hoeffding inequality bounds either error by , with repetitions. The threshold need not be a simple majority when both and lie on the same side of .
Choosing sufficiently large gives the usual thresholds, or any other fixed separated thresholds. Even an inverse-polynomial gap can be amplified using polynomially many repetitions. Classical threshold evaluation can be incorporated into the uniform computation. Thus fixed separated acceptance probabilities define the same BQP class. This argument concerns unrestricted BQP quantum circuits and does not assume such amplification is available for restricted stoquastic circuits.
The class uses polynomial-register real-arithmetic computation: its storage restriction counts real registers, without limiting their precision or the running time. Use the usual decision-model interpretation that computed real values may be compared with fixed thresholds, and that the fixed universal gate set's real constants are available. Without a way to test values, arithmetic instructions alone would not specify the intended decision model.
Let a BQP quantum circuit use qubits and gates. A matrix element can be evaluated by depth-first quantum circuit path summation:
Enumerate the intermediate -bit strings recursively. Store the current strings and loop positions, a partial product, and the partial sum at each depth. There are at most active levels, using registers or bits of loop information, not an exponentially long state vector. Each fixed-locality gate matrix element is computed from its few affected bits. Represent a complex number by two real registers; complex multiplication and addition require only real addition, subtraction and multiplication.
Recompute this amplitude separately for every final string whose output bit is one, accumulating the Born rule probability
The outer enumeration needs only another bits and a real accumulator. Arbitrarily large running time is allowed, so repeated recomputation is harmless. Compare with to distinguish the promised BQP cases. This proves using polynomial storage.
The printed probability hint omits the squares of the amplitude moduli. Summing their absolute values alone is not the Born rule and can exceed one. The corrected sum above is necessary for the containment proof. The argument is about the stated real-register model, rather than a claim that exponential-precision numbers are free in an ordinary bit-cost model.