Quantum computational finance: quantum algorithm for portfolio optimization

Abstract: We present a quantum algorithm for portfolio optimization. We discuss the market data input, the processing of such data via quantum operations, and the output of financially relevant results. Given quantum access to the historical record of returns, the algorithm determines the optimal risk-return tradeoff curve and allows one to sample from the optimal portfolio. The algorithm can in principle attain a run time of ${\rm poly}(\log(N))$, where $N$ is the size of the historical return dataset. Direct classical algorithms for determining the risk-return curve and other properties of the optimal portfolio take time ${\rm poly}(N)$ and we discuss potential quantum speedups in light of the recent works on efficient classical sampling approaches.