Dear all,
We would like to invite you to a celebration in honor of our four new Villum Investigators at the faculty of Natural Sciences at Aarhus University.
Congratulations to:
Professor, Lars Birkedal, Department of Computer Science
Professor, Troels Skrydstrup, Department of Chemistry
Professor, Fabrice Baudoin, Department of Mathematics
Professor, Torben Heick Jensen, Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics
Please see the enclosed invitation and remember to sign up - deadline October 6.
Date and Time:
Friday, 24 October 2025, 14:00.
Venue:
Nucleus Auditorium, building 1871-120, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C.
Registration:
events.au.dk/villum<http://events.au.dk/villum> <http://events.au.dk/villum>
Deadline: October 6
Henriette G. Farup
Section Manager, PLS
Center Manager, CPV
Mobil: +45 935 222 41
Mail: henriettefarup(a)cs.au.dk <mailto:henriettefarup@clin.au.dk>
Department of Computer Science,
Aarhus University
Åbogade 34
8200 Aarhus N
[cid:241d629a-172f-435d-bc51-e3272592259a]
Riccardo Romanello<https://riccardoromanello.github.io/publications.html> will visit our group Oct 6-Oct 10.
He will present his work on quantum computing and graphs on Oct 6, 11-12.
(NB, Riccardo will give a second presentation about emerging directions "Wiring Up Quantum Circuits: A Graph Story"
in the Quantum Software Seminar Friday 10/10/10:00 Turing 230). See Mattermost/Quantum Software for details)
Title: On the role of graphs in quantum computation
Abstract:
In this talk, I will present three papers I authored during my PhD, highlighting both theoretical and practical aspects of quantum computing.
The first part of the talk focuses on a fundamental problem concerning the representation of graphs within quantum algorithms. In the gate-based model of quantum computing, how can a graph be encoded as a unitary matrix? Addressing this question is essential for designing quantum algorithms capable of outperforming classical approaches. I will show that the solution is closely connected to the notion of Eulerian graphs, revealing deep links between graph theory and quantum algorithm design.
The second part of the talk shifts to quantum circuit compilation, with a particular focus on CNOT circuits-circuits constructed exclusively from CNOT gates. A central question here is the minimality of such circuits: how can we generate the smallest possible CNOT circuits for a given computation? I will present two complementary approaches. The first is an exact method based on Answer Set Programming, which guarantees the synthesis of optimal CNOT circuits. The second is an approximate approach using Reinforcement Learning, which demonstrates how techniques from Artificial Intelligence can inform and accelerate circuit synthesis, providing a practical bridge between algorithmic optimization and machine learning.
The aim of this talk is not only to survey these problems but also to highlight open challenges and potential research directions, with the goal of promoting discussions in quantum algorithm design and circuit optimization.
Riccardo Romanello<https://riccardoromanello.github.io/publications.html> will visit our group Oct 6-Oct 10.
He will present his work on quantum computing and graphs on Oct 6, 11-12.
(title + abstract will follow, but reserve the date if you are interested)
