A Layerwise-Multi-Angle Approach to Fine-Tuning the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm

This work was the natural development of my master thesis on quantum optimization, where we investigated parameter fixing strategies for the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) and its Multi-Angle extension. In particular, in this work we proposed a novel variant of the QAOA, called Layerwise Multi-Angle QAOA (LMA-QAOA). Since the known parameter fixing strategy imposes constraints on QAOA to enhance tractability at the cost of some expressive power, the proposed layerwise approach integrates it with the existing Multi-Angle QAOA technique, which is characterized in turn by heightened expressiveness through an increased number of parameters, but with increased optimization challenges. Thus, the proposed LMA-QAOA combines the strengths of one variant with the limitations of the other, striking a balance in algorithmic design.

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