Exponential-Time Quantum Algorithms for Graph Coloring Problems

The fastest known classical algorithm deciding the k-colorability of n-vertex graph requires running time Ω(2n)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\varOmega (2^n)$$\end{document} for k≥5\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$k\ge 5$$\end{document}. In this work, we present an exponential-space quantum algorithm computing the chromatic number with running time O(1.9140n)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$O(1.9140^n)$$\end{document} using quantum random access memory (QRAM). Our approach is based on Ambainis et al’s quantum dynamic programming with applications of Grover’s search to branching algorithms. We also present a polynomial-space quantum algorithm not using QRAM for the graph 20-coloring problem with running time O(1.9575n)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$O(1.9575^n)$$\end{document}. For the polynomial-space quantum algorithm, we essentially develop (4-ϵ)n\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$(4-\epsilon )^n$$\end{document}-time classical algorithms that can be improved quadratically by Grover’s search.