Quantum Machine Learning: Algorithms, Applications, and Limitations

Abstract

As the limits of classical machine learning (ML) become increasingly evident—especially in terms of computational scalability and data processing—quantum computing emerges as a promising frontier capable of addressing these challenges. Quantum Machine Learning (QML) represents the intersection of quantum computing and traditional ML, aiming to leverage quantum phenomena such as superposition, entanglement, and quantum parallelism to enhance learning capabilities, accelerate training, and solve complex problems that are intractable for classical algorithms.

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving field of QML, beginning with the theoretical foundations of quantum computing and its synergy with classical machine learning principles. We explore key QML algorithms, including quantum support vector machines (QSVM), variational quantum classifiers (VQC), quantum neural networks (QNN), and hybrid quantum-classical approaches that exemplify the practical integration of both paradigms.

We further examine real-world applications of QML across domains such as drug discovery, finance, climate modeling, and optimization, where quantum enhancements have begun to show early but promising results. Despite its theoretical potential, QML faces substantial limitations, including quantum hardware instability, limited qubit scalability, noise sensitivity, and unresolved challenges in quantum data encoding and interpretability.

In synthesizing recent advancements and persistent obstacles, this paper highlights the importance of continued interdisciplinary research, algorithmic refinement, and hardware evolution. We also outline future directions that could lead QML from experimental promise to practical utility, including developments in quantum error correction, benchmarking standards, and application-specific quantum architectures