The State of Quantum Optimization: Capabilities, Constraints, and the Road to Fault Tolerance
I. Introduction Quantum optimization currently operates in two fundamentally distinct regimes. The near-term regime focuses on hybrid classical-quantum workflows, in which NISQ (Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum) processors act as heuristic co-processors. The long-term regime aims to execute fully fault-tolerant algorithms that deliver provable, asymptotic speedups on large-scale problems. The gap between these two regimes shapes current…