Symmetry-Preserving Hierarchical Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm with Subproblems Beyond the Qubit Limit

arXiv:2610.38344v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: The quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) is a paradigmatic variational quantum algorithm for combinatorial optimization problems, yet on current quantum devices the available qubit count and achievable circuit depth remain the main bottlenecks to its practical application. Divide-and-merge reduces the number of variables encoded in a single quantum circuit, while contraction based on coarse graining extends the effective range of shallow circuits, but existing work has not addressed both challenges simultaneously.