On Quantum Perceptron Learning via Quantum Search
This work addresses a theoretical error in quantum machine learning for perceptron models, offering incremental improvements in complexity for researchers in quantum algorithms.
The paper corrects a mistake in a previous quantum perceptron algorithm's proof, showing that the probability of sampling a perfect classifier scales as Ω(γ^D) instead of Θ(γ), and revisits linear programming algorithms to achieve sub-linear speed-ups using quantum search.
With the growing interest in quantum machine learning, the perceptron -- a fundamental building block in traditional machine learning -- has emerged as a valuable model for exploring quantum advantages. Two quantum perceptron algorithms based on Grover's search, were developed in arXiv:1602.04799 to accelerate training and improve statistical efficiency in perceptron learning. This paper points out and corrects a mistake in the proof of Theorem 2 in arXiv:1602.04799. Specifically, we show that the probability of sampling from a normal distribution for a $D$-dimensional hyperplane that perfectly classifies the data scales as $Ω(γ^{D})$ instead of $Θ(γ)$, where $γ$ is the margin. We then revisit two well-established linear programming algorithms -- the ellipsoid method and the cutting plane random walk algorithm -- in the context of perceptron learning, and show how quantum search algorithms can be leveraged to enhance the overall complexity. Specifically, both algorithms gain a sub-linear speed-up $O(\sqrt{N})$ in the number of data points $N$ as a result of Grover's algorithm and an additional $O(D^{1.5})$ speed-up is possible for cutting plane random walk algorithm employing quantum walk search.