Concept record · edition 0.1.0
QAOA
The quantum approximate optimization algorithm: a variational circuit alternating problem and mixing Hamiltonians, with classical outer-loop parameter optimization.
Why it matters
It is the standard gate-based quantum approach to QUBO/Ising problems and the usual comparison point for quantum-inspired classical methods.
What this does not establish
Whether QAOA delivers a practical advantage over strong classical baselines on real instances is unresolved.
Claims using this concept
- tn-013 · Active researchWhether QAOA delivers a practical advantage over strong classical baselines on real optimization instances remains unresolved.
- tn-014 · Active researchNo source in this atlas establishes that classical tensor-network contraction generally outperforms quantum hardware on industrial optimization workloads.
Sources
primary paper · identifier verified
A Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm
Edward Farhi, Jeffrey Goldstone, Sam Gutmann · 2014
arXiv:1411.4028
Primary source for QAOA, the quantum method against which quantum-inspired classical optimizers are usually compared.
Source record →