A Noise-Aware Scalable Subspace Classical Optimizer for the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm
Kwassi Joseph Dzahini, Jeffrey M. Larson, Matt Menickelly, Stefan M. Wild · 2025
We introduce ANASTAARS, a noise-aware scalable classical optimizer for variational quantum algorithms such as the quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA). ANASTAARS leverages adaptive random subspace strategies to efficiently optimize the ansatz parameters of a QAOA circuit, in an effort to address challenges posed by a potentially large number of QAOA layers. ANASTAARS iteratively constructs random interpolation models within low-dimensional affine subspaces defined via Johnson-Lindenstrauss transforms. This adaptive strategy allows the selective reuse of previously acquired measurements, significantly reducing computational costs associated with shot acquisition. Furthermore, to robustly handle noisy measurements, ANASTAARS incorporates noiseaware optimization techniques by estimating noise magnitude and adjusts trust-region steps accordingly. Numerical experiments demonstrate the practical scalability of the proposed method for near-term quantum computing applications.