Structural Impact of Urban Topologies on Quantum Approximate Optimization: A Comparative Study of Planned vs. Organic Road Networks
Summarize this article with:
Quantum Physics arXiv:2603.12601 (quant-ph) [Submitted on 13 Mar 2026] Title:Structural Impact of Urban Topologies on Quantum Approximate Optimization: A Comparative Study of Planned vs.
Organic Road Networks Authors:Abdul Sami Rao, Roha Ghazanfar Khan, Shumaila Ashfaq View a PDF of the paper titled Structural Impact of Urban Topologies on Quantum Approximate Optimization: A Comparative Study of Planned vs.
Organic Road Networks, by Abdul Sami Rao and 2 other authors View PDF Abstract:The performance of shallow-depth quantum optimization algorithms is known to depend strongly on problem structure, yet the role of real-world network topology remains poorly understood. In this work, we study how urban graph structure influences the behaviour of the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) at depth p=1. Using street-network subgraphs extracted from two cities in Pakistan with contrasting urban designs - a planned city (Islamabad) and an organically grown city (Lyari) - we analyse probability concentration, approximation quality, and performance variability on the minimum vertex cover problem. By comparing classical brute-force solutions with QAOA outcomes, we show that planned topologies yield more reliable convergence, while organic networks exhibit higher variance and a greater tendency toward trivial solutions. Our results suggest that urban structure primarily affects the robustness rather than the average quality of shallow QAOA solutions, highlighting the importance of higher-order structural heterogeneity in shaping low-depth quantum optimization landscapes.
This research is vital because it bridges the gap between abstract quantum theory and the chaotic reality of our physical world, proving that the way we build our cities directly impacts our ability to optimize them. By identifying how "topological DNA" influences algorithmic success, this work enables the development of more resilient quantum solutions for critical infrastructure, such as smart power grids and emergency response routing. Ultimately, these insights benefit society by paving the way for more efficient, data-driven urban management that can reduce resource waste and improve the quality of life in both planned and organically growing metropolitan areas. Comments: Subjects: Quantum Physics (quant-ph) Cite as: arXiv:2603.12601 [quant-ph] (or arXiv:2603.12601v1 [quant-ph] for this version) https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2603.12601 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration) Submission history From: Abdul Sami Rao [view email] [v1] Fri, 13 Mar 2026 03:07:53 UTC (999 KB) Full-text links: Access Paper: View a PDF of the paper titled Structural Impact of Urban Topologies on Quantum Approximate Optimization: A Comparative Study of Planned vs.
Organic Road Networks, by Abdul Sami Rao and 2 other authorsView PDF view license Current browse context: quant-ph new | recent | 2026-03 References & Citations INSPIRE HEP NASA ADSGoogle Scholar Semantic Scholar export BibTeX citation Loading... BibTeX formatted citation × loading... Data provided by: Bookmark Bibliographic Tools Bibliographic and Citation Tools Bibliographic Explorer Toggle Bibliographic Explorer (What is the Explorer?) Connected Papers Toggle Connected Papers (What is Connected Papers?) Litmaps Toggle Litmaps (What is Litmaps?) scite.ai Toggle scite Smart Citations (What are Smart Citations?) Code, Data, Media Code, Data and Media Associated with this Article alphaXiv Toggle alphaXiv (What is alphaXiv?) Links to Code Toggle CatalyzeX Code Finder for Papers (What is CatalyzeX?) DagsHub Toggle DagsHub (What is DagsHub?) GotitPub Toggle Gotit.pub (What is GotitPub?) Huggingface Toggle Hugging Face (What is Huggingface?) Links to Code Toggle Papers with Code (What is Papers with Code?) ScienceCast Toggle ScienceCast (What is ScienceCast?) Demos Demos Replicate Toggle Replicate (What is Replicate?) Spaces Toggle Hugging Face Spaces (What is Spaces?) Spaces Toggle TXYZ.AI (What is TXYZ.AI?) Related Papers Recommenders and Search Tools Link to Influence Flower Influence Flower (What are Influence Flowers?) Core recommender toggle CORE Recommender (What is CORE?) Author Venue Institution Topic About arXivLabs arXivLabs: experimental projects with community collaborators arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website. Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them. Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs. Which authors of this paper are endorsers? | Disable MathJax (What is MathJax?)