Quantum speed-up for unsupervised learning

  • Authors:
  • Esma Aïmeur;Gilles Brassard;Sébastien Gambs

  • Affiliations:
  • Département d'informatique et de recherche opérationnelle, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada H3C 3J7;Département d'informatique et de recherche opérationnelle, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada H3C 3J7;Université de Rennes 1-INRIA, IRISA, Rennes Cedex, France 35042

  • Venue:
  • Machine Learning
  • Year:
  • 2013

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Abstract

We show how the quantum paradigm can be used to speed up unsupervised learning algorithms. More precisely, we explain how it is possible to accelerate learning algorithms by quantizing some of their subroutines. Quantization refers to the process that partially or totally converts a classical algorithm to its quantum counterpart in order to improve performance. In particular, we give quantized versions of clustering via minimum spanning tree, divisive clustering and k-medians that are faster than their classical analogues. We also describe a distributed version of k-medians that allows the participants to save on the global communication cost of the protocol compared to the classical version. Finally, we design quantum algorithms for the construction of a neighbourhood graph, outlier detection as well as smart initialization of the cluster centres.