The quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) is a variational quantum circuit that alternates a diagonal cost Hamiltonian
and a mixing Hamiltonian. For 
qubits, cost 
, and transverse mixer 
, where 
is the first Pauli matrix
at site 
, a depth-
trial vector is
 |
where 
and the angles
are real. The objective is the expectation of 
in this trial state.
