QunaSys, a leading player in the field of quantum computing, organized a workshop during IEEE Quantum Week 2023, held in Seattle, USA. The workshop, titled "Algorithm Grand Challenge: Leveraging NISQ Devices for Practical Algorithm Development," brought together experts and enthusiasts from the quantum computing community.
 
The highlight of the workshop was the presentation of winning algorithms from the Quantum Algorithm Grand Challenge (QAGC). Contest winners showcased their ground-breaking algorithms, sparking insightful discussions on the practical applications of quantum computing. A lively panel discussion featuring contest winners, representatives from QunaSys, and Algorithmiq added depth to the event.
 
Following the workshop, the QAGC winners were invited to participate in the IEEE Quantum Week conference. QunaSys demonstrated its commitment to fostering innovation by covering the travel, accommodation, and attendance expenses for these talented individuals.
 
The QAGC 2023 winners and prizes were as follows:
 

The challenge problem for QAGC 2023 centered on calculating the ground energy of the modified Fermi-Hubbard model, closely resembling molecular problems but offering a known exact solution. Leveraging this model allows for benchmarking beyond classical simulatable sizes. Evaluation was based on accuracy, measured by the absolute difference between proposed results and the exact solution. The evaluation system employed 8 qubits, with an imposed time constraint of 1000 seconds.
 
The QAGC 2023 challenge commenced on May 3, 2023, and participants from 29 countries submitted a total of 30 impressive solutions.
 
Looking ahead, Quantum Algorithm Grand Challenge (QAGC) will return next year with more exciting opportunities for quantum researchers and scientists. Stay updated by following QunaSys on X (ex-Twitter) for the latest information on upcoming events and challenges.
 
 
Comments from winners
1st Place: Yutaro Nagae, Fixstars Corporation
I was interested in quantum computation and had entered other contests, but this contest was an opportunity for me to study the basics, such as quantum mechanics. I am very happy to have won, although it was only with the help of my teammates. I am not a researcher, but I hope I can use the knowledge I gained from this contest and IEEE Quantum Week to participate again next year and get good results.
 
2nd Place: Yudai Sato, Tokyo University of Science
QAGC was a good opportunity to validate my knowledge of quantum computing. Devising algorithms that consider noise and execution time constraints is a challenging but essential condition for applications, and implementing them based on this was a valuable experience. It was also an opportunity to gather information for programming on my own and to deepen my understanding of quantum algorithms through the algorithms of other participants. I hope to participate in next year's QAGC with more knowledge.
 
3rd Place: Kohei Morimoto, Kyoto University
This contest was a challenging and innovative competition that addressed practical issues in quantum chemistry using current quantum computers. Throughout the contest, I faced difficulties in repeating trial-and-error processes to determine the best ansatz and optimization solver. However, I learned a lot from this experience, and it was incredibly worthwhile for me. The algorithms employed by the top winners were fascinating, and I believe they may provide valuable insights into the future practical use of Variational Quantum Eigensolver. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the QAGC administration. I am eagerly looking forward to participating in next year's contest!

Special Prize: Daichi Suzuki, Tokyo University
This was a groundbreaking contest that provided an opportunity to include non-researchers in the development of quantum computation for quantum chemistry. For beginners, it provided a basis for learning quantum chemistry and VQE through simple problems, and for researchers, it was a good challenge to overcome difficult constraints. We hope that this contest will further promote quantum computation for quantum chemistry in the future.


Comment from Stefan Knecht, Lead Quantum Chemist Researcher, Algorithmiq, QAGC co-organizer
To meet the winning teams of the Quantum Algorithm Grand Challenge at the IEEE Quantum week was a wonderful experience, combined with fruitful and lively discussions. We have seen a large variety of existing and novel algorithms to solve the quantum-chemistry inspired problem of the challenge on near-term devices. We at Algorithmiq are therefore looking forward to partner with QunaSys for the organization of the 2024 Quantum Algorithm Grand Challenge.
 
Comment from Ryota Kojima, QAGC lead, QunaSys Inc.
The theme of the QAGC was the development of algorithms under realistic conditions of current real devices. The algorithms submitted by the participants showed a lot of ingenuity and creativity, such as clever combinations of different techniques that have been proposed to cope with the severe noise and execution time constraints, and were very interesting. We look forward to the further development of practical algorithms that can be implemented on current real devices through QAGC.