Optimization of connection patterns between mobile phones and base stations using quantum annealing

In current mobile networks, optimizing which base station a mobile phone in a particular area connects to is crucial for ensuring good communication quality for each mobile phone but presents a challenging combinatorial optimization problem. In this study, we optimize the connection patterns to base stations using quantum annealing which is a heuristic optimization algorithm using quantum fluctuations. However, since the number of qubits on a quantum annealer is limited, it is necessary to consider a formulation that efficiently utilizes qubits. By adopting a variable reduction formulation, we significantly reduce the qubit requirements compared to the naive formulation that is typically used when considering pattern-matching problems. Furthermore, experiments using quantum annealing revealed that the accuracy of the approximate solution obtained by the new formulation is superior to that of the conventional formulation. In addition, we demonstrate that the new formulation provides better solutions than the conventional formulation as the problem size increases, even when using simulated annealing, the classical counterpart of quantum annealing.