FPRAS hardness conjecture for Jones polynomial evaluation

For an integer ellell with 3\ell\geq 3, let q=eπi/q=e^{\pi i/\ell}, and let JL(q2)J_L(q^2) denote the Jones polynomial of a link LL evaluated at q2q^2. An FPRAS is a fully polynomial randomized approximation scheme, and RPRP and NPNP are the standard randomized and nondeterministic polynomial-time complexity classes.

Jones-polynomial FPRAS conjecture. There is no FPRAS for evaluating JL(q2)J_L(q^2) except at the special points {1,2,3,4,6}\ell\in\{1,2,3,4,6\}, provided RPNPRP\neq NP.

At the exceptional points the Jones polynomial degenerates to a classical link invariant computable in polynomial time, whereas exact evaluation is #P\#P-hard at the other roots of unity described in the paper. The conjecture concerns the stronger approximation-complexity question.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Eric C. Rowell, “Two paradigms for topological quantum computation”, arXiv:0803.1258 (2008).

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