The Game Theory in Quantum Computers: A Review

Abstract

Game theory has been studied extensively in recent centuries as a set of formal mathematical strategies for optimal decision making. This discipline improved its efficiency with the arrival, in the 20th century, of digital computer science. However, the computational limitations related to exponential time type problems in digital processors, triggered the search for more efficient alternatives. One of these choices is quantum computing. Certainly, quantum processors seem to be able to solve some of these complex problems, at least in theory. For this reason, in recent times, many research works have emerged related to the field of quantum game theory. In this paper we review the main studies about the subject, including operational requirements and implementation details. In addition, we describe various quantum games, their design strategy, and the used supporting tools. We also present the still open debate linked to the interpretation of the transformations of classical algorithms in fundamental game theory to their quantum version, with special attention to the Nash equilibrium.