Architecture Decisions in Quantum Software Systems: An Empirical Study on Stack Exchange and GitHub

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2312.05421v3
• Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:17:11 GMT
• Title: Architecture Decisions in Quantum Software Systems: An Empirical Study on Stack Exchange and GitHub
• Authors: Mst Shamima Aktar, Peng Liang, Muhammad Waseem, Amjed Tahir, Aakash Ahmad, Beiqi Zhang, Zengyang Li,
• Abstract summary: The study aims to empirically investigate and analyze architecture decisions made during the development of quantum software systems. We collected data from 385 issues (from 87 GitHub projects) and 70 posts (from three Stack Exchange sites) related to architecture decisions in quantum software development.
• Score: 4.805163442157039
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: Quantum computing provides a new dimension in computation, utilizing the principles of quantum mechanics to potentially solve complex problems that are currently intractable for classical computers. However, little research has been conducted about the architecture decisions made in quantum software development, which have a significant influence on the functionality, performance, scalability, and reliability of these systems. The study aims to empirically investigate and analyze architecture decisions made during the development of quantum software systems, identifying prevalent challenges and limitations by using the posts and issues from Stack Exchange and GitHub. We used a qualitative approach to analyze the obtained data from Stack Exchange Sites and GitHub projects. Specifically, we collected data from 385 issues (from 87 GitHub projects) and 70 posts (from three Stack Exchange sites) related to architecture decisions in quantum software development. The results show that in quantum software development (1) architecture decisions are articulated in six linguistic patterns, the most common of which are Solution Proposal and Information Giving, (2) the two major categories of architectural decisions are Implementation Decision and Technology Decision, (3) Softwar Development Tools are the most common application domain among the twenty application domains identified, (4) Maintainability is the most frequently considered quality attribute, and (5) Design Issues and High Error Rates are the major limitations and challenges that practitioners face when making architecture decisions in quantum software development. Our results show that the limitations and challenges encountered in architecture decision-making during the development of quantum software systems are strongly linked to the particular features (e.g., quantum entanglement, superposition, and decoherence) of those systems.

Related papers

• From Graphs to Qubits: A Critical Review of Quantum Graph Neural Networks [56.51893966016221]
  Quantum Graph Neural Networks (QGNNs) represent a novel fusion of quantum computing and Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) This paper critically reviews the state-of-the-art in QGNNs, exploring various architectures. We discuss their applications across diverse fields such as high-energy physics, molecular chemistry, finance and earth sciences, highlighting the potential for quantum advantage.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-08-12T22:53:14Z)
• An Abstraction Hierarchy Toward Productive Quantum Programming [0.3640881838485995]
  We propose an abstraction hierarchy to support quantum software engineering. We discuss the consequences of overlaps across the programming, execution, and hardware models found in current technologies. While our work points to concrete conceptual challenges and gaps in quantum programming, our primary thesis is that progress hinges on thinking about the abstraction hierarchy holistically.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-05-22T18:48:36Z)
• Quantum computing with Qiskit [1.1469455926249006]
  We describe Qiskit, a software development kit for quantum information science. We discuss the key design decisions that have shaped its development, and examine the software architecture and its core components.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-05-14T17:55:32Z)
• How Do OSS Developers Utilize Architectural Solutions from Q&A Sites: An Empirical Study [5.568316292260523]
  Developers utilize programming-related knowledge (e.g., code snippets) on Q&A sites (e.g., Stack Overflow) architectural solutions (e.g., architecture tactics) and their utilization are rarely explored. For the mining study, we mined 984 commits and issues (i.e., 821 commits and 163 issues) from 893 Open-Source Software (OSS) projects on GitHub. For the survey study, we surveyed 227 of them to further understand how practitioners utilize architectural solutions from Q&A sites in their OSS development.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-04-07T18:53:30Z)
• Quantum algorithms: A survey of applications and end-to-end complexities [90.05272647148196]
  The anticipated applications of quantum computers span across science and industry. We present a survey of several potential application areas of quantum algorithms. We outline the challenges and opportunities in each area in an "end-to-end" fashion.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-10-04T17:53:55Z)
• The QUATRO Application Suite: Quantum Computing for Models of Human Cognition [49.038807589598285]
  We unlock a new class of applications ripe for quantum computing research -- computational cognitive modeling. We release QUATRO, a collection of quantum computing applications from cognitive models.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-09-01T17:34:53Z)
• A Reference Architecture for Quantum Computing as a Service [0.0]
  Quantum computers (QCs) aim to disrupt the statusquo of computing -- replacing traditional systems and platforms that are driven by digital circuits and modular software. QCs that rely on quantum mechanics can achieve "quantum computational supremacy" over traditional, i.e., digital computing systems. This research contributes by developing a reference architecture for enabling quantum computing as a service.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-06-03T17:48:18Z)
• QNEAT: Natural Evolution of Variational Quantum Circuit Architecture [95.29334926638462]
  We focus on variational quantum circuits (VQC), which emerged as the most promising candidates for the quantum counterpart of neural networks. Although showing promising results, VQCs can be hard to train because of different issues, e.g., barren plateau, periodicity of the weights, or choice of architecture. We propose a gradient-free algorithm inspired by natural evolution to optimize both the weights and the architecture of the VQC.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-04-14T08:03:20Z)
• Decision Diagrams for Quantum Computing [3.671241987608068]
  The advantages in computing power come with challenges to be addressed in the design automation and software development community. We review the fundamentals on decision diagrams and highlight their applicability in the tasks of quantum circuit simulation with and without errors as well as in verification of quantum circuits.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-02-09T15:04:47Z)
• The Basis of Design Tools for Quantum Computing: Arrays, Decision Diagrams, Tensor Networks, and ZX-Calculus [55.58528469973086]
  Quantum computers promise to efficiently solve important problems classical computers never will. A fully automated quantum software stack needs to be developed. This work provides a look "under the hood" of today's tools and showcases how these means are utilized in them, e.g., for simulation, compilation, and verification of quantum circuits.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-01-10T19:00:00Z)
• Assessing requirements to scale to practical quantum advantage [56.22441723982983]
  We develop a framework for quantum resource estimation, abstracting the layers of the stack, to estimate resources required for large-scale quantum applications. We assess three scaled quantum applications and find that hundreds of thousands to millions of physical qubits are needed to achieve practical quantum advantage. A goal of our work is to accelerate progress towards practical quantum advantage by enabling the broader community to explore design choices across the stack.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-11-14T18:50:27Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.