# US 2020/0401374 A1 · Ising machine data input apparatus and method of inputting data into an ising machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0401374 A1 - Document ID: US20200401374A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/832,674 - Filed: 2020-03-27 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-21 - Assignees: Fujitsu Limited - Applicants: Fujitsu Limited - Inventors: Alberto MORAGLIO; Serban GEORGESCU - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401374A1 ## CPC - G06F 7/548: Trigonometric functions; Co-ordinate transformations - G06N 5/01: Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound - G06F 17/18: for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} - G06N 3/044: Recurrent networks, e.g. Hopfield networks - G06N 3/047: Probabilistic or stochastic networks - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract Apparatus and method of inputting data into an Ising machine. The apparatus may comprise at least one processor to carry out a conversion process to convert an input expression, in a format unsuitable for inputting into an Ising machine, to a suitable format, including creating a dataset of input-output data pairs on the basis of the input expression, deriving a mathematical expression by fitting a first dataset subset to coefficients of an exemplary mathematical expression in the suitable format, and using a second dataset subset, different from the first, to assess whether the derived expression meets a preset quality metric. The derived expression is input to the Ising machine when it is assessed as meeting the metric. The conversion process may be repeated using a different input expression when the derived expression is assessed as failing to meet the metric. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Ising machine data input apparatus, comprising: a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to: receive an input expression, representing an optimization problem, in a format unsuitable for inputting into an Ising machine; carry out a conversion process to convert the input expression received to a format suitable for inputting into the Ising machine, the conversion process including: creating a dataset of input-output data pairs on basis of the input expression received, deriving a mathematical expression corresponding to the input expression received by fitting a first subset of the dataset created to coefficients of an exemplary mathematical expression in the format suitable for inputting into the Ising machine, and testing, using a second subset of the dataset created, which is different from the first subset, to assess whether the derived mathematical expression meets a preset quality metric; and outputting the derived mathematical expression for input to the Ising machine when the derived mathematical expression is assessed as meeting the preset quality metric, wherein the conversion process is repeated using a different input expression representing the optimization problem when the derived mathematical expression is assessed as failing to meet the preset quality metric. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the suitable format is a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Order—QUBO—formulation, a Cubic Unconstrained Binary Order—CUBO—formulation, or a higher order Unconstrained Binary Order formulation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dataset is created by a software interpreter. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of input-output data pairs in the first sub-set is equal to a number of coefficients in the exemplary mathematical expression. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein repeating the conversion process includes prompting a user to input the different input expression. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein whether the derived mathematical expression meets the preset quality metric is assessed by determining whether outputs obtained using the derived mathematical expression are sufficiently similar to outputs obtained using the input expression. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the outputs are determined to be sufficiently similar when a difference between the outputs meets a preset criterion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the preset criterion is that the difference between the outputs is below a preset threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the difference is an aggregated difference. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input expression is in non-binary form. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input expression is not a mathematical expression. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The Ising machine data input apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein formulation of at least one of the input expression and the different input expression is guided by a human user. ### Claim 13 A computer-implemented method of inputting data into an Ising machine, the method comprising: receiving an input expression, representing an optimization problem, in a format unsuitable for inputting into the Ising machine; carrying out a conversion process to convert the input expression received to a format suitable for inputting into the Ising machine, the conversion process including: creating a dataset of input-output data pairs on the basis of the input expression received; deriving a mathematical expression corresponding to the input expression received by fitting a first subset of the dataset to coefficients of an exemplary mathematical expression in the format suitable for inputting into the Ising machine; and assessing, using a second subset of the dataset, which is different from the first subset, whether the derived mathematical expression meets a preset quality metric; and outputting the derived mathematical expression for input to the Ising machine when the derived mathematical expression is assessed as meeting the preset quality metric, or repeating the conversion process using a different input expression representing the optimization problem when the derived mathematical expression is assessed as failing to meet the preset quality metric. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by at least one processor to: receive an input expression, representing an optimization problem, in a format unsuitable for inputting into an Ising machine; carry out a conversion process to convert the input expression to a format suitable for inputting into the Ising machine, the conversion process including: creating a dataset of input-output data pairs on basis of the input expression received; deriving a mathematical expression corresponding to the input expression received by fitting a first subset of the dataset to coefficients of an exemplary mathematical expression in the format suitable for inputting into an Ising machine; and assessing, using a second subset of the dataset, which is different from the first subset, whether the derived mathematical expression meets a preset quality metric; and outputting the derived mathematical expression for input to an Ising machine when the derived mathematical expression is assessed as meeting the preset quality metric, or repeating the conversion process using a different input expression representing the optimization problem when the derived mathematical expression is assessed as failing to meet the preset quality metric.