Reducing Trust Cost in Quantum Application Development Using AI
Katsuhiro Endo
quant-ph
Oct 10, 2026 · v1
TL;DR
Writes mathematical specifications, quantum circuits, and AI-generated correspondence proofs in Lean to verify quantum circuits against block-encoding specifications.
Abstract
Generative AI can be a powerful tool for supporting the design and implementation of quantum applications, whereas the burden of checking whether generated circuits realize the intended computation increases. In this study, we regard this burden of human understanding, checking, and judgment as “trust cost,” and propose a development methodology that integrates AI and formal verification to reduce it. In the proposed development methodology, the implementation is divided into three components: a target mathematical specification, a quantum circuit, and a correspondence theorem and its proof that prove the agreement between the two. This division separates the specifications and theorem statements checked by humans from the theorem proofs entrusted to mechanical checking. As a concrete development example of this proposal, we describe an implementation for the time evolution of a stochastic particle system and its results.
Problem
AI can generate quantum circuits, but developers then bear the 'trust cost' of checking that those circuits realize the intended computation.
Approach
Each implementation is split into three parts: a mathematical specification, a quantum circuit, and a correspondence theorem with its proof, all written in Lean. Humans check only the specifications and theorem statements. AI-written proofs are checked mechanically by Lean. The method is demonstrated on a stochastic coalescing-particle system, with four checkpoints: the generator matrix, the linear-system matrix, the kernel reflection, and the final solution state.
Results
Circuits for all four checkpoints were defined in Lean and proved to match their specifications. Gate-count formulas were also proved in Lean, which gives exact resource estimates: about 16k gates and 124 qubits for Q, and about 4.2e14 gates and 3,342 qubits for the reflection R.
| Quantity | Gate count | Qubit count |
|---|
| Q (CP01) | 16,041 | 124 |
| H (CP02) | 40,197 | 275 |
| R (CP03,04) | 417,312,971,982,202 | 3,342 |
Quantum resources for concrete parameters