An Algebraic Language for Distributed Quantum Computing

A classical circuit can be represented by a circuit graph or equivalently by a Boolean expression. The advantage of a circuit graph is that it can help us to obtain an intuitive understanding of the circuit under consideration, whereas the advantage of a Boolean expression is that it is suited to various algebraic manipulations. In the literature, however, quantum circuits are mainly drawn as circuit graphs, and a formal language for quantum circuits that has a function similar to that of Boolean expressions for classical circuits is still missing. Certainly, quantum circuit graphs will become unmanageable when complicated quantum computing problems are encountered, and in particular, when they have to be solved by employing the distributed paradigm where complex quantum communication networks are involved. In this paper, we design an algebraic language for formally specifying quantum circuits in distributed quantum computing. Using this language, quantum circuits can be represented in a convenient and compact way, similar to the way in which we use Boolean expressions in dealing with classical circuits. Moreover, some fundamental algebraic laws for quantum circuits expressed in this language are established. These laws form a basis of rigorously reasoning about distributed quantum computing and quantum communication protocols.