White Paper Quantum future – quantum present
White Paper
Quantum future – quantum present
Quantum-inspired computing leading the path to new disruptive markets.
Content
Introduction2
Delivering performance generations ahead 2
The drive towards quantum computing 3
Quantum computing and
quantum-inspired computing 4
Creating a bridge to the quantum future5
Real-world application and benefits6
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White Paper Quantum future – quantum present
The idea that we might ever achieve optimal solutions to Using current computing technology, it might be possible to make
various problems in society and business was seemingly getting a one-off optimization calculation – given enough time. However,
away from us. Operations and processes connected over the traffic is always in flux. An optimal calculation won’t be valid for
internet lead to an ever-increasing thirst for automation, more than a few seconds as accidents, new journeys, essential
machine intelligence and cloud computing, to name a few maintenance and variable speed limits – to name a fraction of the
possibilities. And while greater connectivity opens up a new possible complications – continually change the dynamic picture.
horizon of possibilities, it also generates a corresponding Repeating an optimization every second could only be envisaged
growth in complexity. While, classical computing-based by making a switch to quantum computing. Or so it was believed.
solutions have been able to contribute immensely to this
growth, there are limitations when it comes to specific complex, What brought this particular automotive OEM to Fujitsu was
large-scale so-called ‘combinatorial optimization’ problems - its answer to specific complex challenges for automotive
which we will define and explain in this paper. manufacturers using Fujitsu’s new Digital Annealer – a quantum-
inspired computing solution that is ready to use today. Fujitsu’s
Using classical computers to find the optimum sequence in a team and the customer jointly tested Digital Annealer to learn
process that drives out inefficiencies and improves productivity and understand its potential by solving challenges including job
is possible when the number of variables is limited. However, shop scheduling, optimization of car mirror design and real time
when the process involves too many variables, they cannot reach optimization of robot positioning in chassis welding. PVC seam-
an accurate answer by evaluating all possibilities fast enough sealing done by robots in the ‘paint shop’ contributes an average
and accurately enough to gain any practical benefit. The total of 40 percent of the total cost of manufacturing1 and has been
cost, energy and time required would be unfeasible, as traditional a particular focus of optimization. Naturally, this manufacturer
computers, even supercomputers, are reaching their limits. This was able to see immediately the huge potential in identifying
is primarily because the fundamental property of a traditional the optimum welding roundtrip for seam-sealing using Digital
computing processor is based on sequential processing. Annealer – leading to fully-handling 64 seams today resulting in
the manufacturing of more cars with the same resources and the
As the boundaries of classical computing come into view, there has same amount of time.
been increasing research and investment in the field of quantum
computing. The principle of quantum computing is not sequential and And away from manufacturing, in the world of financial services,
it has the potential to evaluate all possible solutions simultaneously. NatWest bank has been using Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer to solve a
Unsurprisingly, many CTOs in areas as diverse as manufacturing, highly complex portfolio optimization challenge. This task needs
financial services, utilities, pharmaceuticals and government are to be undertaken regularly by the bank, and by using Fujitsu’s
taking a hard look at quantum computing as a possible means to Digital Annealer service it was able to do so at 300 times the speed
overcome this looming optimization bottleneck, and to resolve many of traditional methods, whilst providing an even higher degree
problems in business and more broadly in society. of accuracy. NatWest is engaging with Fujitsu to help portfolio
managers optimize the composition of the bank’s £120bn High-
When it is eventually ready to move out of the laboratory and solve Quality Liquid Asset (HQLA) portfolio. HQLAs are assets such as
practical real-world problems, quantum computing may be able to cash and bonds that every UK bank must hold as a buffer in case it
solve such challenges. But it’s not yet ready to solve them from a runs into financial trouble, translating into another opportunity for
scale, accuracy, applicability and commercial perspective. Fujitsu’s NatWest to achieve significant market differentiation.
‘Quantum-Inspired’ computing, on the other hand, is available now
and delivers optimization calculations with speed, precision and at .
a scale that true quantum computing is not able to achieve today.
Delivering performance generations ahead
with quantum-inspired computing today
Recently, Fujitsu experts helped its automotive OEM customers
explore complex optimization solutions that one of its customers
described as “unsolvable with linear upgrades of the technology we
have today”. They went on to explain how – some years earlier – the
research and investigation of traffic optimization for autonomous
cars quickly made it clear that the calculations involved surpassed
the abilities of currently available computing power.
1. A ssessment of Automotive Coatings Used on Different Metallic Substrates, W. Bensalah, N. Loukil, M. De-Petris Wery, and H. F. Ayedi, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijc/2014/838054/
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White Paper Quantum future – quantum present
The drive towards quantum computing
Let’s take a step back to understand the prize on offer here. This would be impossible to solve quickly if you tackled each
What these progressive thinkers are reaching for is the ability possible combination in a linear sequence. But quantum and
to improve processes by solving a class of problems known as quantum-inspired computers don’t do that – they assess all the
‘combinatorial optimization’ – the process of identifying the possibilities simultaneously.
optimal solution by evaluating each possibility from a finite
but extremely large set of options. Until now, in tackling any It is this potential to overcome the limitation of conventional
combinatorial optimization process there has been a trade-off computing that explains why many of the world’s major enterprises
between precision and risk. Seeking high precision used to imply are now investigating quantum computing. In automotive
the need for more time to calculate the answer, while accepting manufacturing, the major OEMs, including Daimler, Ford and
a ‘good enough’ answer introduced an increasing amount of risk. Volkswagen, have all announced quantum computing programs.
The more precise the calculation you can achieve, the more cost- Pharmaceuticals companies, including Amgen and Biogen, and
efficient the final process will be, leading to a game-changing chemicals companies are looking at areas such as molecular
opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. matching for new drug and materials discoveries. Utility companies
are aiming to optimize ROI from new asset investments, while
It’s a bit like old-school sailing calculations before the advent of banks, such as NatWest and BBVA, and insurance companies are
sonar and GPS. When working out the clearance under the ship seeking to optimize portfolio and credit risk. Governments too are
at any point in a tidal pattern, it was wise to leave a margin of fascinated by the potential to achieve climate change targets faster,
error, even at the expense of a slightly longer journey, just in for example by optimizing transport systems to reduce pollution.
case the calculation was not precise enough. The risk, cost and
inconvenience of running aground was not worth contemplating. This is just the beginning. The scope for disruptive change from
combinatorial optimization by quantum and quantum-inspired
But the calculations involved are based on a mind-boggling computing will stretch across industries, businesses and use cases,
number of variables and possibilities. Let us take a simple example with the early adopters on this journey already in the front seat.
to show how quickly combinatorial optimization variables can spin
out of control. Calculating the most valuable combination of 40 out
of 100 items to put in a backpack for a trek, results in an enormous
number of possibilities, exceeding one million times the number of
stars in the universe2.
2. Single items have interdependencies. For example, a stand-alone item - such as a box of nails – has a low value, but this increases when combined with a hammer.
The number of stars in the universe is assumed as being 1022.
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White Paper Quantum future – quantum present
Quantum computing and
quantum-inspired computing
The idea of a quantum computer goes back 40 years, when physicists The power of the Digital Annealer lies in Fujitsu’s quantum-inspired
familiar with quantum theory began to speculate whether it might digital architecture that leverages innovations in ultra-high-density
provide the basis for encoding information. In quantum superposition, circuit integration and high-performance processing. Digital Annealer
to take one example, objects can be in two (or more) states at once is delivered to customers as an end-to-end solution, deployed
– as popularized by the thought experiment known as Schrödinger’s anywhere from cloud to edge. The Digital Annealer solution today
cat. If this superposition of states could be harnessed in a computer, supports an 8,192-bit fully-connected architecture with a promising
you would have the ability to simultaneously calculate all possible roadmap to support a 100,000-bit scale solution. The 8,192-bit Digital
combinations of results. Annealer solution not only comes with a high precision of 64 bit (the
highest accuracy available in the market) but also with the capability
Despite initial skepticism, we now see various kinds of quantum of partitioning.3 This means – depending on the problem scale, you
computers being used for experimental testing – and the potential can configure the system in different configurations as here:
is awe-inspiring. The only problem is, it remains some distance in the
1x 8,192 partition, 2x 4,096 partitions, 4x 2,048 partitions,
future. Optimists think perhaps five years – others say 10, 15 or even
8x 1,024 partitions
20 years away.
And each partition can run one problem at a time. This gives Digital
One thing is clear: today quantum computing remains experimental, Annealer a unique advantage of parallel processing of different
expensive, complicated and temperamental, and requires very problems set on different scales at the same time.
specific operating conditions in order to compute and provide
output – including power and cooling requirements that would This ground-breaking solution is inspired by the key characteristics
drive temperatures lower than in outer space. As MIT professor of quantum computing: superposition, quantum tunneling and
Isaac Chuang puts it: “The thing driving the hype is the realization entanglement, enabling the Digital Annealer to evaluate multiple
that quantum computing is actually real. It is no longer a physicist’s potential options simultaneously – and deliver lightning-fast insights.
dream—it is an engineer’s nightmare.”
Yet, from a practical perspective, the Digital Annealer operates at
In order to produce the correct output for a problem, quantum bits data center temperatures and does not need special cooling: in other
must remain in a quantum state at near absolute-zero temperatures, words, it works with digital circuits at room temperature – without
free from any outside interference, including cosmic or magnetic rays. needing any specific expertise or a complex infrastructure to function.
Get this wrong and the qubits collapse out of their delicate entangled
state, losing all quantum acceleration and of course also rendering Fujitsu has co-created the quantum- inspired algorithm for this new
any calculation impossible. To emphasize just how difficult this is, architecture, working with Toronto University, which has a leading
when an IT company recently unveiled a 50-qubit quantum computer research position in the field, and 1QB Information Technologies
to great acclaim, it featured the ability to preserve a quantum state (1QBit), based in Vancouver, Canada, the leading commercial player
for an industry-record time: 90 nanoseconds. in quantum software. This algorithm is compatible with those being
developed for prototyping true quantum (quantum annealing or
The fragility of these quantum states makes true quantum computing ‘quantum gate’) computers, meaning that solutions developed with
prone to error and creates a corresponding need for error correction. Digital Annealer today will be compatible with quantum computers,
This consumes a sizable proportion of an already sparse pool of when these eventually emerge.
qubits, making it impossible to solve large scale problems and hence
quantum computing has been restricted to research purposes only. This quantum-inspired technology, simultaneous processing and
offsetting from local minimum optimal state capabilities allows
But what if it were possible to harness ‘quantum-like’ capabilities on FUJITSU Quantum-Inspired Computing Digital Annealer to instantly
existing computer architectures today? Fujitsu’s scientists were keen find the optimal combination of massively complex, previously
on finding how to solve these critical problems today and realized unmanageable data variables. As we saw earlier, in the case of robot
that the software being developed for quantum computers could be welding in vehicle manufacture, optimization of the seaming process
applied to digital architectures. Based on this insight, Fujitsu created - already underway with Digital Annealer - will boost profitability
the Digital Annealer, a unique circuit design inspired by the quantum by allowing more cars to be manufactured in a given time and by
phenomena. It has a fully-connected architecture enabling the free reducing the need for additional resources in the paint shop process.
exchange of signals across all bits and can, therefore, solve large- Fujitsu has also applied this solution in its own factories, where the
scale combinatorial optimization problems instantly. use of Digital Annealer has optimized inventory and reduced workers’
traveling distances by 45 percent per month, with a consequent
reduction in non-productive time.
3. Depending on the partition size, the precision bit may vary. For more details please contact Fujitsu sales.
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White Paper Quantum future – quantum present
Creating a bridge to the quantum future
Fujitsu Digital Annealer has been described by independent With quantum computing on the horizon, and a bridge to that
analysts as a unique opportunity to pre-empt quantum quantum future now available through the Fujitsu Digital Annealer
computing and achieve the benefits of optimization today, Solution, the next wave of disruption coming from combinatorial
using current data centers. They talk about creating a “bridge” optimization is already upon us. While investment decisions on
to the quantum future – taking advantage of the benefits superconductivity quantum hardware are still some way off, there
of combinatorial optimization, while also learning how true is now an opportunity to get ahead of the curve and start using
quantum computing can be applied to future operations. quantum algorithms with Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer and to stake-out
a winning position in the upcoming quantum-disrupted market.
Fujitsu provides the Digital Annealer Solution as an end-to-end
service in the cloud or on-premises solving any customer challenge The technology is in place, proven, technically reliable and cost
that can be translated into a combinatorial optimization problem. effective and the solution includes end-to-end support and services.
And all this without needing the complex wrap-arounds associated Fujitsu is now inviting customers on to this journey to become one of
with quantum computing, such as cryogenic cooling systems. The the disruptors of the future.
service is fully compatible with existing architectures and therefore
fits into existing business workflows and processes.
“
The engagement model follows a fast, straight-forward three-step
process that starts with a consultancy-led approach to identify the
a unique opportunity
business challenge to be solved jointly and whether that translates to pre-empt quantum
into a combinatorial optimization calculation.
computing and achieve
the benefits of
”
If it does, in the second step Fujitsu’s solution support team maps that
challenge onto a mathematical model called Quadratic Unconstrained
Binary Optimization (QUBO), which is further translated to identify
optimization today…
and fine tune the quantum algorithm. This then runs on the Digital
Annealer solution to provide the precise answer to the problem in
seconds or minutes – depending on the size of the problem.
In the third and final step, Fujitsu operates the customer’s new
Digital Anneal application, providing support and quality assurance
of the system.
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White Paper Quantum future – quantum present
Real-world application and benefits
FUJITSU Quantum-
Inspired Computing
Digital Annealer:
Transforming businesses today
All processes have the potential to be optimized. The ability Other possibilities for digital annealing in financial services
to uncover and leverage efficiencies and insights will bring include calculating the optimum amount of cash and the most
profound change and advantages in all sectors of the economy efficient route for ATM replenishment. Cash replenishment
and government. accounts for up to 60 percent of ATM network operating costs
and optimization would improve profitability significantly at a
Among the pioneers already making headway, world-leading time when ATM network operations are under pressure.
car manufacturers have engaged with Fujitsu for a range of
optimizations including job-shop scheduling, engineering And using Fujitsu’s Quantum-Inspired Digital Annealer, NatWest
design and the optimization of robot positioning. As we bank has completed a highly complex portfolio risk optimization
have seen, in the automotive sector OEMs began with traffic calculation that needs to be undertaken regularly by the bank, at
optimization to enable autonomous driving in a congestion- 300 times the speed of a traditional computer while providing an
free society, but have quickly branched out from there as they even higher degree of accuracy.
gain experience with quantum-inspired Digital Annealer.
Battery development is in the spotlight, with the search on In the search for new substances and to develop new drugs,
for high-density designs that could dramatically expand the chemical and pharmaceutical laboratories use molecular
capacity of batteries used in everything from portable electronics similarity searching, which partially extracts molecule
to vehicles. The time is right: Improvements in battery density characteristics. Digital Annealer-powered research is able to
have been running at just 5 to 8 percent annually. explore entire molecular structures without relying on extraction,
thereby enabling accurate, instant similarity searching and
In financial services, real-time optimization with the Fujitsu faster, potentially disruptive new product development. TORAY
Digital Annealer has many applications for banks and insurance Industries, Inc. successfully tested Digital Annealer to accelerate
companies. In credit risk assessment of individuals and drug discovery and biotech research. Its approach is to optimize
companies, it reduces risk by increasing the correlation of credit molecular structure stability with Digital Annealer by predicting
evaluation items while improving efficiency by reducing the the most stable protein side-chain structures, with the aim of
number of credit characteristics to evaluate. Real time interest improving stereochemical prediction accuracy in target protein
rate swap optimization in derivatives trading is another high research. Elsewhere in this sector, Fujitsu is also running a joint
gain option. research with Toronto University in advanced medical care for
cancer treatment to improve cancer radiation therapy.
continued overleaf…
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White Paper Quantum future – quantum present
In transport and logistics, Japan Post Co. Ltd. has been able on emission reductions, enabling governments to focus their
to reduce its delivery fleet in a single city from 52 to 48 trucks. spending on other vital policy areas. More efficient journeys
In collaboration with quantum software company, A*Quantum, will raise productivity, reduce frustration and encourage
Japan Post has leveraged the Fujitsu Digital Annealer to optimize economic growth.
transportation route combinations, truck types and cargo loads.
The result has been the capacity to shrink the delivery fleet and Digital Annealer’s ability to perform parallel, real-time
reduce costs, while achieving faster delivery times and truck calculations on unbelievably complex challenges like traffic
loading efficiency. optimization, stands head and shoulders above today’s
possibilities using classical computing. These struggle to
And in the public sector, cities and national governments are perform the calculation at all. Early modeling suggests
urgently looking to address the issue of traffic optimization. The that digital annealing holds the potential to reduce traffic
potential benefits are significant: better air quality means lower congestion by up to 40 percent, by dispersing traffic to less
levels of respiratory and other diseases, and increased citizen well- congested routes.
being. Lower carbon emissions feed through to national targets
Fujitsu
Web: www.fujitsu.com/DigitalAnnealer
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in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product, service and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of Fujitsu or other
companies. This document is current as of the initial date of publication and subject to be changed by Fujitsu without notice. This material
is provided for information purposes only and Fujitsu assumes no liability related to its use. We reserve the right to change delivery options
or make technical modifications. ID-XXXX-000/02-2019
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