Setting angles in quantum approximate optimization at utility-scale

The quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA) is a powerful heuristic that seeks to solve combinatorial optimization problems using quantum hardware and classical optimization in tandem. Various methods exist to train the parameterized quantum circuits that serve as an ansatz in QAOA. However, which method works best to identify optimal angles for a given problem instance remains poorly understood, especially at utility-scale, i.e., 100 qubits or more. In this work, we address this challenge through utility-scale benchmarks from which we distill operational guidance for QAOA practitioners. First, we investigate approximation techniques, such as matrix product states and Pauli propagation, to find optimal angles. Second, we train QAOA on small-scale representative problems and transfer the angles to larger ones. We then validate the results on quantum hardware for utility-scale problem instances that can be meaningfully executed. In this way, we identify insights for QAOA angle setting strategies that work best for problems at the utility scale, including as a function of resource cost for the search. Crucially, the operational implications we draw from our benchmarks will help quantum optimization practitioners execute QAOA end-to-end pipelines efficiently on current and future hardware.