Tailoring tensor network techniques to the quantics representation for highly inhomogeneous problems and few body problems
Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 17:33 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Tailoring tensor network algorithms to the quantics representation produces faster and more robust convergence for large inhomogeneous PDEs.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
In the quantics representation the different tensor indices correspond to physics at vastly different scales and therefore play inequivalent roles, unlike typical quantum-magnetism settings where every degree of freedom is symmetric; tailoring the tensor-network update rules to this inequivalence, in the spirit of multigrid methods, yields faster and more robust convergence when the same algorithms are applied to linear problems such as the Poisson equation and eigenvalue problems such as the Schrödinger equation.
What carries the argument
Multigrid-style modifications to the tensor-network contraction and optimization rules that assign unequal treatment to the scale-dependent degrees of freedom in the quantics encoding.
Load-bearing premise
The proposed changes to the tensor network update rules will continue to produce faster and more robust convergence once full implementation details, convergence criteria, and error controls are applied on the largest grids.
What would settle it
Run the unmodified DMRG algorithm and the tailored version on the identical quantics-encoded Poisson equation with 2^40 grid points and compare the number of iterations or final residual error; absence of a clear advantage for the tailored version would falsify the central claim.
Figures
read the original abstract
Tensor network techniques are becoming increasingly popular tools to solve partial differential equations within the so-called quantics representation. Their popularity stems from the fact that their spatial resolution depends only logarithmically on the number of grid points, making them very tempting approaches in situations where two or more characteristic length scales are vastly different. A first generation of technique used ``out-of-the-box'' algorithms of the tensor network toolkit (e.g. the celebrated Density Matrix Product State (DMRG) algorithm) to solve these problems. These techniques were designed for situations (e.g. quantum magnetism) where the different degrees of freedom (e.g. spins) play equivalent roles. In the quantics representation, however, the different degrees of freedom correspond to the physics at different scales and therefore play inequivalent role. Here we show that by tailoring the tensor network algorithms to this particular case, in the spirit of the multigrid approach, we obtain faster and more robust convergence of the algorithms. We showcase the approach on linear (Poisson equation) and eigenvalue (Schr\"odinger equation) problems in two, three and four dimensions. Our simulations involve up to $2^{80}$ grid points and would represent, we argue, a very strong challenge for conventional approaches.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The paper proposes modifications to standard tensor-network algorithms (such as DMRG) that are tailored to the hierarchical structure of the quantics representation, drawing on multigrid ideas to account for the inequivalent roles of degrees of freedom at different length scales. These tailored update rules are applied to linear (Poisson) and eigenvalue (Schrödinger) problems in two, three, and four dimensions, with demonstrations on grids containing up to 2^80 points.
Significance. If the reported improvements in convergence speed and robustness hold under detailed scrutiny, the work would provide a practical route to solving highly inhomogeneous PDEs and few-body quantum problems at scales inaccessible to conventional discretizations. The explicit algorithmic adaptations and large-scale numerical results constitute a concrete advance over out-of-the-box tensor-network applications to quantics encodings.
minor comments (3)
- The abstract states that the tailored algorithms yield 'faster and more robust convergence' but does not include even a single quantitative metric (e.g., iteration counts or residual norms versus standard DMRG) that would allow a reader to gauge the magnitude of the improvement.
- Figure captions and the main text should explicitly state the convergence tolerance, the precise definition of 'robustness' (e.g., success rate over random initializations), and the hardware resources used for the 2^80-point runs.
- A short comparison table (or plot) contrasting wall-clock time or iteration count against a standard multigrid solver on the same quantics grid would strengthen the claim that the tensor-network route is competitive.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the positive assessment of our manuscript, the recognition of its potential impact on solving highly inhomogeneous PDEs and few-body problems at extreme scales, and the recommendation for minor revision. We are pleased that the tailored multigrid-inspired updates to tensor-network algorithms for the quantics representation are viewed as a concrete advance.
Circularity Check
No significant circularity in algorithmic tailoring
full rationale
The paper describes explicit modifications to tensor-network update rules, drawing inspiration from the established multigrid approach, and validates them through numerical experiments on Poisson and Schrödinger problems in up to four dimensions with grids as large as 2^80 points. No derivation chain reduces a claimed result to its own fitted parameters, self-defined quantities, or a load-bearing self-citation. The central claim of faster and more robust convergence is supported by direct algorithmic changes and reported performance data rather than by construction from the paper's own outputs.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (2)
- domain assumption Quantics representation encodes spatial functions such that different tensor indices correspond to physics at different length scales
- ad hoc to paper Multigrid-style hierarchical updates can be adapted to tensor-network contraction and sweeping routines
Lean theorems connected to this paper
-
IndisputableMonolith/Foundation/RealityFromDistinction.leanreality_from_one_distinction unclear?
unclearRelation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.
by tailoring the tensor network algorithms to this particular case, in the spirit of the multigrid approach, we obtain faster and more robust convergence... simulations involve up to 2^80 grid points
-
IndisputableMonolith/Foundation/AlexanderDuality.leanalexander_duality_circle_linking echoes?
echoesECHOES: this paper passage has the same mathematical shape or conceptual pattern as the Recognition theorem, but is not a direct formal dependency.
dynamic resolution, N = 12, 15, ... 60
What do these tags mean?
- matches
- The paper's claim is directly supported by a theorem in the formal canon.
- supports
- The theorem supports part of the paper's argument, but the paper may add assumptions or extra steps.
- extends
- The paper goes beyond the formal theorem; the theorem is a base layer rather than the whole result.
- uses
- The paper appears to rely on the theorem as machinery.
- contradicts
- The paper's claim conflicts with a theorem or certificate in the canon.
- unclear
- Pith found a possible connection, but the passage is too broad, indirect, or ambiguous to say the theorem truly supports the claim.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
along the internuclear axis, and (un)gerade labels the (odd) even parity with respect to inversion symmetry. <latexit sha1_base64="mwJgaF2jWzOgoZrIH/J/LXwHnfY=">AAACPnicZZDLTgIxGIX/4g3xBrp0oZGNKzJjvGxJjIlLTBzACCGd8jM0tNOm7RgM4Snc6rv4Gr6AO+PWpYDEZGbO6uTr+dOcE2rBrfO8D1JYWV1b3yhulra2d3b3ypX9plWJYRgwJZRph9Si4DEGjjuBbW2QylBgKxxdz99bT2gsV/G9e9bYlTSK+YAz6mbowe9Y...
work page 2030
-
[2]
We use Dirichlet boundary conditions with V(x,0) = 0,(A1a) V(x, h) = ( Vt,|x|< c Vsc,|x|> c (A1b)
Problem formulation We seek the solution of ∆V(x, y) = 0 inside a stripe of widthh(0< y < h) infinite along thexdirection. We use Dirichlet boundary conditions with V(x,0) = 0,(A1a) V(x, h) = ( Vt,|x|< c Vsc,|x|> c (A1b)
-
[3]
Conformal transformation Introducingz=x+iy, any analytical functionV(z) automatically satisfies ∆V= 0. We consider the exponential mapw(z) =e πz/h that maps our stripe onto the upper half planew=u+ivwithv≥0. A schematic of the transformation is shown in Fig. 16. We get the following mappingsz→w, (+∞,0)→(∞,0) (−∞,0)→(0,0) (−∞, h)→(0,0) (−c, h)→(−a,0) (c, h...
-
[4]
Solving the upper half plane problem Fortunately, the solution of the problem on the half plane is known for general boundary conditions. For U(ξ, v= 0) =G(ξ), it reads [70], U(u, v) = 1 π Z +∞ −∞ dξ vG(ξ) v2 + (u−ξ) 2 .(A3) In the particular case whereG(ξ <0) = 1 andG(ξ≥
-
[5]
= 0, it translates into U(w) = 1 π Arg(w) = 1 π arctan(v/u) (A4) as one can easily verifies explicitly. It follows that the solution to our problem in thew-plane reads, U(w) = Vsc π Arg(w) + Vt −V sc π [Arg(w−b)−Arg(w−a)]. (A5) Replacing with the expression ofwin terms ofz, we arrive at the solution that matches the piecewise constant boundary conditions ...
-
[6]
A pedestrian construction We start from the constant prolongation where f ′ 2α+1 =f ′ 2α =f α and want to convert it into the linear average prolongation. This is done by performing the averagingf ′ 2α →[f ′ 2α +f ′ 2α+1]/2 on all points odd and even, the operation leaving the even points unchanged. We want to write the operator that performs this operati...
-
[7]
Generalization to higher orders The previous construction can be generalized to interpolations to arbitrary orders. For instance, we would like to use a fourth order interpolation scheme like this, f ′ 2α =f α (B4) f ′ 2α+1 = 1 6 (−fα−1 + 4fα + 4fα+1 −f α+2) (B5) For this, we follow a slightly different route and do not start with performing the constant ...
-
[8]
E. Akkermans and G. Montambaux,Physique m´ esoscopique des ´ electrons et des photons(EDP Sciences, 2020)
work page 2020
-
[9]
R. Sanchez, Assembly homogenization techniques for core calculations, Progress in Nuclear Energy51, 14 (2009)
work page 2009
-
[10]
I. V. Oseledets, Approximation of matrices with logarithmic number of parameters, Dokl. Math.80, 653 (2009)
work page 2009
-
[11]
I. V. Oseledets and E. E. Tyrtyshnikov, Algebraic wavelet transform via quantics tensor train decomposition, SIAM J. Sci. Comput.33, 1315 (2011)
work page 2011
-
[12]
I. V. Oseledets, Constructive representation of functions in low-rank tensor formats, Constr. Approx.37, 1 (2012)
work page 2012
- [13]
-
[14]
J. Chen, E. Stoudenmire, and S. R. White, Quantum fourier transform has small entanglement, PRX Quantum4, 040318 (2023)
work page 2023
-
[15]
M. Lindsey, Multiscale interpolative construction of quantized tensor trains 10.48550/ARXIV.2311.12554 (2023)
-
[16]
N. Gourianov, M. Lubasch, S. Dolgov, Q. Y. van den Berg, H. Babaee, P. Givi, M. Kiffner, and D. Jaksch, A quantum inspired approach to exploit turbulence structures, Nature Computational Science2, 30 (2022)
work page 2022
-
[17]
R. D. Peddinti, S. Pisoni, A. Marini, P. Lott, H. Argentieri, E. Tiunov, and L. Aolita, Quantum- inspired framework for computational fluid dynamics, Communications Physics7, 10.1038/s42005-024-01623-8 (2024)
-
[18]
E. Kornev, S. Dolgov, K. Pinto, M. Pflitsch, M. Perelshtein, and A. Melnikov, Numerical solution of the incompressible navier-stokes equations for chemical mixers via quantum-inspired tensor train finite element method 10.48550/arXiv.2305.10784 (2023)
-
[19]
L. H¨ olscher, P. Rao, L. M¨ uller, J. Klepsch, A. Luckow, T. Stollenwerk, and F. K. Wilhelm, Quantum-inspired fluid simulation of two-dimensional turbulence with GPU acceleration, Phys. Rev. Res.7, 013112 (2025)
work page 2025
-
[20]
N. Gourianov, P. Givi, D. Jaksch, and S. B. Pope, Tensor networks enable the calculation of turbulence probability distributions, Sci. Adv.11(2025)
work page 2025
-
[21]
N.-L. van H¨ ulst, P. Siegl, P. Over, S. Bengoechea, T. Hashizume, M. G. Cecile, T. Rung, and D. Jaksch, Quantum-inspired tensor-network fractional-step method for incompressible flow in curvilinear coordinates 10.48550/arXiv.2507.05222 (2025)
work page internal anchor Pith review doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.05222 2025
- [22]
-
[23]
A. Chertkov and I. Oseledets, Solution of the fokker–planck equation by cross approximation method in the tensor train format, Front. Artif. Intell.4(2021)
work page 2021
-
[24]
V. Khoromskaia and B. N. Khoromskij, Tensor numerical methods in quantum chemistry: from hartree–fock to excitation energies, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.17, 31491 (2015)
work page 2015
- [25]
-
[26]
Quantics tensor train for solving gross-pitaevskii equation,
A. Bou-Comas, M. P lodzie´ n, L. Tagliacozzo, and J. J. Garc´ ıa-Ripoll, Quantics tensor train for solving gross- pitaevskii equation 10.48550/arXiv.2507.03134 (2025)
-
[27]
Q.-C. Chen, I.-K. Liu, J.-W. Li, and C.-M. Chung, Solving the gross-pitaevskii equation with quantic tensor trains: Ground states and nonlinear dynamics 10.48550/arXiv.2507.04279 (2025)
-
[28]
R. J. J. Connor, C. W. Duncan, and A. J. Daley, Tensor network methods for the gross-pitaevskii equation on fine grids 10.48550/arXiv.2507.01149 (2025)
-
[29]
M. Niedermeier, A. Moulinas, T. Louvet, J. L. Lado, and X. Waintal, Solving the gross-pitaevskii equation on multiple different scales using the quantics tensor train representation 10.48550/arXiv.2507.04262 (2025)
work page internal anchor Pith review Pith/arXiv arXiv doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.04262 2025
- [30]
-
[31]
H. Shinaoka, M. Wallerberger, Y. Murakami, K. Nogaki, R. Sakurai, P. Werner, and A. Kauch, Multiscale space- 16 time ansatz for correlation functions of quantum systems based on quantics tensor trains, Phys. Rev. X13, 021015 (2023)
work page 2023
-
[32]
A. Erpenbeck, W.-T. Lin, T. Blommel, L. Zhang, S. Iskakov, L. Bernheimer, Y. N´ u˜ nez Fern´ andez, G. Cohen, O. Parcollet, X. Waintal, and E. Gull, Tensor train continuous time solver for quantum impurity models, Phys. Rev. B107, 245135 (2023)
work page 2023
-
[33]
M. K. Ritter, Y. N´ u˜ nez Fern´ andez, M. Wallerberger, J. von Delft, H. Shinaoka, and X. Waintal, Quantics tensor cross interpolation for high-resolution parsimonious representations of multivariate functions, Phys. Rev. Lett.132, 056501 (2024)
work page 2024
- [34]
-
[35]
A. Otero Fumega, M. Niedermeier, and J. Lado, Correlated states in super-moire materials with a kernel polynomial quantics tensor cross interpolation algorithm, 2D Materials (2024)
work page 2024
- [36]
-
[37]
S. Rohshap, J.-W. Li, A. Lorenz, S. Hasil, K. Held, A. Kauch, and M. Wallerberger, Entanglement across scales: Quantics tensor trains as a natural framework for renormalization 10.48550/arXiv.2507.19069 (2025)
-
[38]
A. J. Kim and P. Werner, Strong coupling impurity solver based on quantics tensor cross interpolation, Phys. Rev. B111, 125120 (2025)
work page 2025
-
[39]
J. Gidi, P. Garc´ ıa-Molina, L. Tagliacozzo, and J. J. Garc´ ıa-Ripoll, Pseudospectral method for solving pdes using matrix product states, J. Comput. Phys.539, 114228 (2025)
work page 2025
-
[40]
X. Waintal, C.-H. Huang, and C. W. Groth, Who can compete with quantum computers? lecture notes on quantum inspired tensor networks computational techniques 10.48550/ARXIV.2601.03035 (2026)
- [41]
-
[42]
S. R. White, Density matrix formulation for quantum renormalization groups, Phys. Rev. Lett.69, 2863 (1992)
work page 1992
-
[43]
M. Lubasch, P. Moinier, and D. Jaksch, Multigrid renormalization, J. Comput. Phys.372, 587 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[44]
Brandt, Algebraic multigrid theory: The symmetric case, Appl
A. Brandt, Algebraic multigrid theory: The symmetric case, Appl. Math. Comput.19, 23 (1986)
work page 1986
-
[45]
J. Mandel and S. McCormick, A multilevel variational method forau=λbuon composite grids, J. Comput. Phys.80, 442 (1989)
work page 1989
-
[46]
J. Goodman and A. D. Sokal, Multigrid monte carlo method for lattice field theories, Phys. Rev. Lett.56, 1015 (1986)
work page 1986
-
[47]
W. Janke and T. Sauer, Multicanonical multigrid monte carlo method, Phys. Rev. E49, 3475 (1994)
work page 1994
-
[48]
E. L. Briggs, D. J. Sullivan, and J. Bernholc, Real- space multigrid-based approach to large-scale electronic structure calculations, Phys. Rev. B54, 14362 (1996)
work page 1996
-
[49]
M. Heiskanen, T. Torsti, M. J. Puska, and R. M. Nieminen, Multigrid method for electronic structure calculations, Phys. Rev. B63, 245106 (2001)
work page 2001
-
[50]
J. Brannick, R. C. Brower, M. A. Clark, J. C. Osborn, and C. Rebbi, Adaptive multigrid algorithm for lattice qcd, Phys. Rev. Lett.100, 041601 (2008)
work page 2008
- [51]
-
[52]
C. Liu, X. Zheng, and C. Sung, Preconditioned multigrid methods for unsteady incompressible flows, J. Comput. Phys.139, 35 (1998)
work page 1998
-
[53]
Z. Guo, T. S. Zhao, and Y. Shi, Preconditioned lattice- boltzmann method for steady flows, Phys. Rev. E70, 066706 (2004)
work page 2004
-
[54]
I. Oseledets and E. Tyrtyshnikov, Tt-cross approximation for multidimensional arrays, Linear Algebra Appl.432, 70 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[55]
I. V. Oseledets, Tensor-train decomposition, SIAM J. Sci. Comput.33, 2295 (2011)
work page 2011
-
[56]
D. V. Savostyanov, Quasioptimality of maximum-volume cross interpolation of tensors, Linear Algebra Appl.458, 217 (2014)
work page 2014
-
[57]
Compressing multivariate func- tions with tree tensor networks
J. Tindall, M. Stoudenmire, and R. Levy, Compressing multivariate functions with tree tensor networks 10.48550/arXiv.2410.03572 (2024)
-
[58]
Y. N´ u˜ nez Fern´ andez, M. K. Ritter, M. Jeannin, J.-W. Li, T. Kloss, T. Louvet, S. Terasaki, O. Parcollet, J. von Delft, H. Shinaoka, and X. Waintal, Learning tensor networks with tensor cross interpolation: New algorithms and libraries, SciPost Phys.18(2025)
work page 2025
-
[59]
P. Armagnat, A. Lacerda-Santos, B. Rossignol, C. Groth, and X. Waintal, The self-consistent quantum- electrostatic problem in strongly non-linear regime, SciPost Physics7, 10.21468/scipostphys.7.3.031 (2019)
-
[60]
I. V. Oseledets and S. V. Dolgov, Solution of linear systems and matrix inversion in the tt-format, SIAM J. Sci. Comput.34, A2718 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[61]
S. ¨Ostlund and S. Rommer, Thermodynamic limit of density matrix renormalization, Phys. Rev. Lett.75, 3537 (1995)
work page 1995
-
[62]
J. H. Davies, I. A. Larkin, and E. V. Sukhorukov, Modeling the patterned two-dimensional electron gas: Electrostatics, J. Appl. Phys.77, 4504 (1995)
work page 1995
-
[63]
L. N. Trefethen,Approximation Theory and Approximation Practice, Extended Edition(Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2019)
work page 2019
-
[64]
B. T. Sutcliffe, The use of perimetric coordinates in the vibration-rotation hamiltonian for triatomic molecules, Mol. Phys.75, 1233 (1992)
work page 1992
-
[65]
H. Cox, S. J. Smith, and B. T. Sutcliffe, Some calculations on the ground and lowest-triplet state of helium in the fixed-nucleus approximation, Phys. Rev. A49, 4520 (1994)
work page 1994
-
[66]
V. A. Kazeev and B. N. Khoromskij, Low-rank explicit QTT representation of the laplace operator and its inverse, SIAM Journal on Matrix Analysis and Applications33, 742 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[67]
Kato, On the eigenfunctions of many-particle systems in quantum mechanics, Commun
T. Kato, On the eigenfunctions of many-particle systems in quantum mechanics, Commun. Pure Appl. Math.10, 151 (1957)
work page 1957
-
[68]
W. A. Bingel, A physical interpretation of the cusp conditions for molecular wave functions, Theoretica Chimica Acta8, 54 (1967)
work page 1967
-
[69]
A. Ishikawa, H. Nakashima, and H. Nakatsuji, Solving the schr¨ odinger and dirac equations of hydrogen molecular ion accurately by the free iterative 17 complement interaction method, J. Chem. Phys.128, 10.1063/1.2842068 (2008)
-
[70]
Fock, Bemerkung zum virialsatz, Z
V. Fock, Bemerkung zum virialsatz, Z. Phys.63, 855 (1930)
work page 1930
-
[71]
W. Kohn and L. J. Sham, Self-consistent equations including exchange and correlation effects, Phys. Rev. 140, A1133 (1965)
work page 1965
-
[72]
J. C. Slater, A simplification of the hartree-fock method, Phys. Rev.81, 385 (1951)
work page 1951
-
[73]
P. Haubenwallner and M. Heller, Fully numerical hartree- fock calculations for atoms and small molecules with quantics tensor trains, Electron. Struct.7, 025006 (2025)
work page 2025
-
[74]
Jr. Thom H. Dunning, Gaussian basis sets for use in correlated molecular calculations. i. the atoms boron through neon and hydrogen, J. Chem. Phys.90, 1007 (1989)
work page 1989
-
[75]
D. E. Woon and Jr. Thom H. Dunning, Gaussian basis sets for use in correlated molecular calculations. iv. calculation of static electrical response properties, J. Chem. Phys.100, 2975 (1994)
work page 1994
-
[76]
Y. Hijikata, H. Nakashima, and H. Nakatsuji, Solving non-born–oppenheimer schr¨ odinger equation for hydrogen molecular ion and its isotopomers using the free complement method, J. Chem. Phys.130, 024102 (2009)
work page 2009
- [77]
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.