Introduction

dwave-inspector provides a graphic interface for examining D-Wave quantum computers’ problems and answers. As described in the Ocean documentation’s Getting Started, the D-Wave system solves problems formulated as binary quadratic models (BQM) that are mapped to its qubits in a process called minor-embedding. Because the way you choose to minor-embed a problem (the mapping and related parameters) affects solution quality, it can be helpful to see it.

For example, embedding a K3 fully-connected graph, such as the Boolean AND gate example into a D-Wave 2000Q, with its Chimera topology, requires representing one of the three variables with a “chain” of two physical qubits:

../_images/and_gate.png

The AND gate’s original BQM is represented on the left; its embedded representation, on the right, shows a two-qubit chain of qubits 1195 and 1199 for one variable.

The problem inspector shows you your chains at a glance: you see lengths, any breakages, and physical layout.

Usage and Examples

Import the problem inspector to enable it1 to hook into your problem submissions.

1

Importing the problem inspector activates for the session the capture of data such as problems sent to the QPU and returned responses, relevant details of minor-embedding, and warnings. The recommended workflow is to import it at the start of your coding session as is typical for Python packages (it is also possible, but less convenient, to specify in the submission that data such as embedding be returned with the response).

Use the show() method to visualize the embedded problem, and optionally the logical problem, in your default browser.

Inspecting an Embedded Problem

This example shows the canonical usage: samples representing physical qubits on a quantum processing unit (QPU).

>>> from dwave.system import DWaveSampler
>>> import dwave.inspector
...
>>> # Get solver
>>> sampler = DWaveSampler(solver=dict(qpu=True))
...
>>> # Define a problem (actual qubits depend on the selected QPU's working graph)
>>> h = {}
>>> J = {(0, 4): 1, (0, 5): 1, (1, 4): 1, (1, 5): -1}
>>> all(edge in sampler.edgelist for edge in J)
True
>>> # Sample
>>> response = sampler.sample_ising(h, J, num_reads=100)
...
>>> # Inspect
>>> dwave.inspector.show(response)
../_images/physical_qubits.png

Edge values between qubits 0, 1, 4, 5, and the selected solution, are shown by color on the left; a histogram, on the right, shows the energies of returned samples.

Inspecting a Logical Problem

This example visualizes a problem specified logically and then automatically minor-embedded by Ocean’s EmbeddingComposite. For illustrative purposes it sets a weak chain_strength to show broken chains.

Define a problem and sample it for solutions:

import dimod
import dwave.inspector
from dwave.system import DWaveSampler, EmbeddingComposite

# Define problem
bqm = dimod.BQM.from_ising({}, {'ab': 1, 'bc': 1, 'ca': 1})

# Get sampler
sampler = EmbeddingComposite(DWaveSampler(solver=dict(qpu=True)))

# Sample with low chain strength
sampleset = sampler.sample(bqm, num_reads=1000, chain_strength=0.1)

Inspect the problem:

dwave.inspector.show(sampleset)
../_images/logical_problem.png

The logical problem, on the left, shows that the value for variable b is based on a broken chain; the embedded problem, on the right, highlights the broken chain (its two qubits have different values) in bold red.