A Systematic Mapping Study on Quantum and Quantum-inspired Algorithms in Operations Research

Abstract

Quantum and quantum-inspired algorithms have not yet been systematically classified in the context of potential Operations Research (OR) applications. Our systematic mapping is designed for quick consultation and shows which algorithms have been significantly explored in the context of OR, as well as which algorithms have been vaguely addressed in the same context. The study provides rapid access to OR professionals, both practitioners and researchers, who are interested in applying and/or further developing these algorithms in their respective contexts. We prepared a replicable protocol as a backbone of this systematic mapping study, specifying research questions, establishing effective search and selection methods, defining quality metrics for assessment, and guiding the analysis of the selected studies. A total of more than 2 000 studies were found, of which 149 were analyzed in detail. Readers can have an interactive hands-on experience with the collected data on an open-source repository with a website. An international standard was used as part of our classification, enabling professionals and researchers from across the world to readily identify which algorithms have been applied in any industry sector. Our effort also culminated in a rich set of takeaways that can help the reader identify potential paths for future work.