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Additive approximation of the Jones polynomial at a primitive root of unity

Given a braid on n strands with m crossings and an integer k, compute a certain additive approximation to the Jones polynomial of the link obtained by closing the braid, evaluated at the primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k).

jones polynomialknot invariantsbraidbqp-completeapproximation

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Given a braid on n strands with m crossings and an integer k, compute a certain additive approximation to the Jones polynomial of the link obtained by closing the braid, evaluated at the primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k). Freedman, Kitaev, Larsen and Wang had shown that a quantum computer can efficiently simulate topological quantum field theory and vice versa, which implicitly implies an efficient additive approximation of the Jones polynomial at e^(2πi/5) and makes that approximation BQP-complete, but the algorithm was never explicitly formulated and its TQFT footing left it inaccessible to computer scientists. Aharonov, Jones and Landau write that algorithm down explicitly, resting it on well known mathematical results instead of TQFT. Their algorithm takes a braid of n strands with m crossings and returns the additive approximation at any primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k), and the paper states that, by the results of Freedman et al., its algorithm solves a BQP-complete problem.

Circuit & simulation
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How it works

Freedman, Kitaev, Larsen and Wang had shown that a quantum computer can efficiently simulate topological quantum field theory and vice versa, which implicitly implies an efficient additive approximation of the Jones polynomial at e^(2πi/5) and makes that approximation BQP-complete, but the algorithm was never explicitly formulated and its TQFT footing left it inaccessible to computer scientists. Aharonov, Jones and Landau write that algorithm down explicitly, resting it on well known mathematical results instead of TQFT. Their algorithm takes a braid of n strands with m crossings and returns the additive approximation at any primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k), and the paper states that, by the results of Freedman et al., its algorithm solves a BQP-complete problem. This record's speedup class, "Superpolynomial", is a secondary source's classification of the approximation and simulation algorithms it files this under — not a claim its primary paper makes. Not checked against the primary source yet. Reported cost: Running time polynomial in m, n and k for an n-strand braid with m crossings, at any primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k); the guarantee is an additive approximation..

Implementation
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jones-polynomial-approximation.txt
ALGORITHM: Additive approximation of the Jones polynomial at a primitive root of unity
PROBLEM: Given a braid on n strands with m crossings and an integer k, compute a certain additive approximation to the Jones polynomial of the link obtained by closing the braid, evaluated at the primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k).
IDEA: Freedman, Kitaev, Larsen and Wang had shown that a quantum computer can efficiently simulate topological quantum field theory and vice versa, which implicitly implies an efficient additive approximation of the Jones polynomial at e^(2πi/5) and makes that approximation BQP-complete, but the algorithm was never explicitly formulated and its TQFT footing left it inaccessible to computer scientists. Aharonov, Jones and Landau write that algorithm down explicitly, resting it on well known mathematical results instead of TQFT. Their algorithm takes a braid of n strands with m crossings and returns the additive approximation at any primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k), and the paper states that, by the results of Freedman et al., its algorithm solves a BQP-complete problem.
REPORTED COST: Running time polynomial in m, n and k for an n-strand braid with m crossings, at any primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k); the guarantee is an additive approximation.
BASIS: Abstract of arXiv:quant-ph/0511096: "an explicit and simple polynomial quantum algorithm to approximate the Jones polynomial of an n-strands braid with m crossings at any primitive root of unity ... where the running time of the algorithm is polynomial in m,n and k". The abstract gives no exponent, no constant, and no numeric size for the additive approximation window.
PRIMARY SOURCE: Dorit Aharonov, Vaughan Jones, Zeph Landau (2005), A Polynomial Quantum Algorithm for Approximating the Jones Polynomialhttps://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0511096

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Literature & references
A Polynomial Quantum Algorithm for Approximating the Jones Polynomial2005 · Dorit Aharonov, Vaughan Jones, Zeph Landau

Primary source: makes the previously implicit algorithm explicit, extends it from e^(2πi/5) to any primitive root of unity e^(2πi/k), and states the running time as polynomial in m, n and k. The authors also flag the Potts model partition function as a candidate for the same approach.

arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0511096