Quantum solutions to overcome classical optimization limits: Insights from MIT Hackathon winners

This webinar delves into Moody's challenge presented at the MIT Quantum Hackathon 2024; part of our mission to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical, real-world applications. 

Webinar highlights

Challenges and questions the students faced in our session: 

• Leverage quantum computing to avoid the drawbacks of classical optimization algorithms for portfolio optimization in the financial industry. What are the most promising problems and the corresponding techniques to solve them?  

• Inclusion of equality and inequality constraints in optimization problems. What are the main bottlenecks and steps in using quantum to solve financial optimization problems? What are the literatures’ proposals to overcome them?  

• Mapping a classical portfolio optimization problem to a quantum one.

• Thinking about resource estimation, can we do something useful with near term devices? How far are we from quantum advantage? How do we translate hardware roadmaps into utility timelines?  

• Use of simulated annealing and other quantum computing techniques to find the solution to the problem.
   

Discover how Moody’s MIT Quantum Hackathon 2024 sponsorship is fostering innovation and collaboration in the field of quantum computing. Learn about the groundbreaking projects and solutions that emerged from the hackathon, showcasing the potential of quantum technology to transform industries. Hear from the winning team about their experiences and insights on the future of quantum computing. 
 

Host

Carmen Recio, Quantum Taskforce Lead at Moody's
 

Speakers

• Irene Papaefstathiou, Quantum Computing Engineer at Moody's 

• MIT Quantum Hackathon 2024 Moody’s challenge winners: Mason Abrell, Christian Kang, Jeb Cui, Zachary Zitzewitz, (Yale University), and Victor Cai (Havard University)
   

Agenda

• Moody’s at the MIT Quantum Hackathon iQuHack 2024 

• The challenge: Why is this use case relevant for the financial sector? 

• Presentation: Winners’ solution & whitepaper 

• Q&A