# US 2021/0334332 A1 · Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0334332 A1 - Document ID: US20210334332A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/165,989 - Filed: 2021-02-03 - Published: 2021-10-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-27 - Assignees: Fujitsu Limited - Applicants: Fujitsu Limited - Inventors: Jumpei KOYAMA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210334332A1 ## CPC - G06F 17/11: for solving equations {, e.g. nonlinear equations, general mathematical optimization problems (optimization specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} - G06N 7/01: Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks - G06N 5/01: Dynamic search techniques; Heuristics; Dynamic trees; Branch-and-bound - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract A method includes: acquiring, from a search node configured to perform a search for a ground state represented by plural state variables included in an energy function by using plural temperature values and hold a value of the energy function for the plural state variables, a value of the energy function obtained for the plural state variables at a first temperature value among the plural temperature values; determining whether the value acquired is smaller than a smallest value of the energy function obtained for the plural state variables before reaching the first temperature value; recording update information indicating that the smallest value has been updated at the first temperature value in a case where the value is smaller than the smallest value; and outputting a second temperature value based on the first temperature value at which the update information has been recorded among the plural temperature values. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus comprising: search circuitry configured to perform a search for a ground state represented by a plurality of state variables included in an energy function by using a plurality of temperature values, and hold a value of the energy function for the plurality of state variables; and temperature adjustment circuitry configured to: acquire, from the search circuitry, a value of the energy function obtained for the plurality of state variables at a first temperature value among the plurality of temperature values; determine whether the value acquired is smaller than a smallest value of the energy function obtained for the plurality of state variables before reaching the first temperature value; record update information indicating that the smallest value has been updated at the first temperature value in a case where the value is smaller than the smallest value; and output a second temperature value based on the first temperature value at which the update information has been recorded among the plurality of temperature values. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature adjustment circuitry is configured to acquire, as the value, the value that is smallest among a plurality of the values of the energy function obtained for the plurality of state variables at the first temperature value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search circuitry is configured to perform the search by using each of a first set and a second set of the plurality of state variables, and wherein the temperature adjustment circuitry is configured to: determine, for the first set, whether a first value of the energy function at the first temperature value is smaller than a first smallest value of the energy function obtained for the first set before reaching the first temperature value; in response to determining that the first value is smaller than the first smallest value, record the update information for the first temperature value; determine, for the second set, whether a second value of the energy function at the first temperature value is smaller than a second smallest value of the energy function obtained for the second set before reaching the first temperature value; and in response to determining that the second value is smaller than the second smallest value, record the update information for the first temperature value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the temperature adjustment circuitry is configured to: update the first smallest value held for the first set to the first value when the first value is smaller than the first smallest value; update the second smallest value held for the second set to the second value when the second value is smaller than the second smallest value; record, as the update information, the number of times the first smallest value and the second smallest value have been updated for each of the plurality of temperature values; and specify the first temperature value used to determine the second temperature value among the plurality of temperature values based on the number of times recorded for each of the plurality of temperature values. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second temperature value includes a new maximum temperature value and a new minimum temperature value used for the search, and wherein the temperature adjustment circuitry is configured to: specify two or more temperature values for which the number of times recorded is larger than a threshold among the plurality of temperature values; determine a largest temperature value among the two or more temperature values as the maximum temperature value; and determine a smallest temperature value among the two or more temperature values as the minimum temperature value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the temperature adjustment circuitry is configured to: calculate a statistical value of temperature values at which the smallest value of the energy function has been updated, from the number of times for each of the plurality of temperature values; and specify the first temperature value used to determine the second temperature value based on the statistical value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the search circuitry is configured to execute the search by the first set and the search by the second set in parallel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the search circuitry is configured to exchange, based on a predetermined exchange probability, a temperature value used in the search by the first set among the plurality of temperature values with another temperature value used in the search by the second set among the plurality of temperature values. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the temperature adjustment circuitry is configured to output the second temperature value to the search circuitry, and wherein the search circuitry is configured to: determine a plurality of other temperature values based on the second temperature value; and perform the search for the ground state corresponding to the energy function by using the plurality of other temperature values. ### Claim 10 An information processing method implemented by a computer, the method comprising: acquiring, from a search circuit configured to perform a search for a ground state represented by a plurality of state variables included in an energy function by using a plurality of temperature values and hold a value of the energy function for the plurality of state variables, a value of the energy function obtained for the plurality of state variables at a first temperature value among the plurality of temperature values; determining whether the value acquired is smaller than a smallest value of the energy function obtained for the plurality of state variables before reaching the first temperature value; recording update information indicating that the smallest value has been updated at the first temperature value in a case where the value is smaller than the smallest value; and outputting a second temperature value based on the first temperature value at which the update information has been recorded among the plurality of temperature values. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a program which causes a processor to perform processing, the processing comprising: acquiring, from a search circuit configured to perform a search for a ground state represented by a plurality of state variables included in an energy function by using a plurality of temperature values and hold a value of the energy function for the plurality of state variables, a value of the energy function obtained for the plurality of state variables at a first temperature value among the plurality of temperature values; determining whether the value acquired is smaller than a smallest value of the energy function obtained for the plurality of state variables before reaching the first temperature value; recording update information indicating that the smallest value has been updated at the first temperature value in a case where the value is smaller than the smallest value; and outputting a second temperature value based on the first temperature value at which the update information has been recorded among the plurality of temperature values.