9 $\times$ 4 = 6 $\times$ 6: Understanding the quantum solution to the Euler's problem of 36 officers

TL;DR

This paper explores a quantum approach to Euler's 36 officers problem, demonstrating a solution using entangled quantum states and Bell bases, which was impossible classically.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum solution to Euler's problem by constructing a design based on entangled states and Bell bases, expanding the problem's scope into quantum information.

Findings

Quantum states form maximally entangled pairs.

The design involves nine Bell bases in 4D subspaces.

Officers are entangled with up to three colleagues.

Abstract

The famous combinatorial problem of Euler concerns an arrangement of $36$ officers from six different regiments in a $6 \times 6$ square array. Each regiment consists of six officers each belonging to one of six ranks. The problem, originating from Saint Petersburg, requires that each row and each column of the array contains only one officer of a given rank and given regiment. Euler observed that such a configuration does not exist. In recent work, we constructed a solution to a quantum version of this problem assuming that the officers correspond to quantum states and can be entangled. In this paper, we explain the solution which is based on a partition of 36 officers into nine groups, each with four elements. The corresponding quantum states are locally equivalent to maximally entangled two-qubit states, hence each officer is entangled with at most three out of his $35$ colleagues. The entire quantum combinatorial design involves $9$ Bell bases in nine complementary $4$-dimensional subspaces.