Polynomial-time unitary synthesis from a Boolean oracle

What OpenAI claims

Solves the constant-error Aaronson–Kuperberg unitary synthesis problem: a uniform polynomial-size quantum oracle circuit approximates every n-qubit unitary channel within diamond-norm error 1/2, after a suitable Boolean oracle is chosen. Gates, qubits, oracle calls and query length are polynomially bounded. The target-dependent oracle may have an unrestricted truth table; its efficient classical construction is not asserted.

Paper

1. Polynomial-Time Unitary Synthesis from a Boolean Oracle

   5 October 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   OpenAI's abstract We give a positive answer to the constant-error formulation of the Aaronson–Kuperberg unitary synthesis problem. For every n, a quantum oracle circuit generated in polynomial time from n alone can approximate the channel of every n-qubit unitary to full diamond-norm error at most 1/2, after a suitable Boolean oracle is chosen. Using the fixed gates H,T,T^†,CNOT, the circuit has polynomially many qubits, elementary gates, and oracle calls, and its oracle queries have polynomial length. The oracle may depend on the target unitary; the theorem does not give an efficient classical procedure for constructing it.

Status

Preprint. The paper has not been independently reviewed. Treat the result as OpenAI's claim until other mathematicians have checked it. If a video exists, it illustrates the statement; it is not the proof.