Commentary on Quantum-Inspired Information Retrieval

TL;DR

This paper clarifies the conceptual distinctions and issues surrounding the use of quantum mechanics-inspired models in classical information retrieval, emphasizing the mathematical rather than physical application of quantum ideas.

Contribution

It provides conceptual clarity on the distinctions between quantum-inspired models and actual quantum information processing in IR.

Findings

Highlights the mathematical nature of quantum models in IR

Distinguishes between quantum-inspired and quantum-computing approaches

Clarifies common misconceptions in the field

Abstract

There have been suggestions within the Information Retrieval (IR) community that quantum mechanics (QM) can be used to help formalise the foundations of IR. The invoked connection to QM is mathematical rather than physical. The proposed ideas are concerned with information which is encoded, processed and accessed in classical computers. However, some of the suggestions have been thoroughly muddled with questions about applying techniques of quantum information theory in IR, and it is often unclear whether or not the suggestion is to perform actual quantum information processing on the information. This paper is an attempt to provide some conceptual clarity on the emerging issues.