Quantum Algorithms Database
Quantum Algorithms for Optimal Transport
Quantum approaches to the optimal transport problem — finding the most efficient way to move or transform one distribution of resources into another — relevant to logistics and machine learning.
Year
2019 onward
Inventor(s)
Multiple contributors
Speedup Type
Polynomial Speedup
Difficulty
★★★★★
The Problem
Determining the most efficient way to redistribute resources, mass, or probability from one configuration to a target configuration, minimizing total movement cost.
How It Works
Reformulates the classical optimal transport linear program using quantum optimization or quantum linear algebra subroutines, aiming to reduce the computational cost of large-scale transport problems.
Real-World Impact
An emerging research area connecting quantum computing to a mathematical framework already widely used in classical machine learning, economics, and logistics planning.