QMA versus QCMA beyond an oracle
This record describes an open question and its evidence. Source review does not resolve the question.
Research context
open question · unresolved · As of 2026-10-10
As reviewed on 10 October 2026, the 2026 classical-oracle separation distinguishes quantum and classical witnesses within a relativized model but leaves the ordinary QMA versus QCMA relation unresolved by that result.
Key knowledge
As reviewed on 10 October 2026, the 2026 classical-oracle separation distinguishes quantum and classical witnesses within a relativized model but leaves the ordinary QMA versus QCMA relation unresolved by that result. An explicit ordinary-language separation or a general classical-witness simulation would require additional nonrelativized reasoning. An oracle theorem and an experimental quantum-memory result address different questions and cannot be substituted for that proof.
Conditions and scope
- The open question concerns ordinary classes without the added oracle, with the standard bounded-gap promise conventions.
- This dated frontier states what the inspected original results establish and leave open; it does not certify every new manuscript in the literature.
Sources · 2
References
Sources retain their recorded scope. A source link alone does not establish verification of every statement.
Evidence and review
Author checked this English statement, displayed equation where present and stated hypotheses against these source locations: Introduction, Theorems 1.1–1.2 and formal oracle/list-recovery construction; unrelativized boundary; §IV BQP/resource/oracle model, §V QMA promises and 2-local Hamiltonian Theorem 8; historical survey. The check is bounded to the recorded claims; no complete proof reconstruction, software proof replay or universal literature completeness is claimed.
2026-10-10 · Author source-body/statement/equation/domain check, with graph associations scoped individually. Separate independent content/source/inventory review is required before branch closure.
Entry details
Permanent link to this entry ↗- Record identity
- research-info-unrelativized-witness-frontier
- Revision
- research.1
- Structured reference record
- Postgraduate & research reference