TensorCircuit was originally conceived and initiated in April 2020 by Shi-Xin Zhang (@refraction-ray) as an independent research project, inspired by the MPS quantum simulator mpsim and the introduction of the Google TensorNetwork package.
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Academic Foundation (2020.04 - 2021.06): The core architecture and initial algorithms were developed and open-sourced during his doctoral research at Tsinghua University. This foundational version was archived to preserve the original research lineage.
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Industrial Standardization (2021.07 - 2024.07): During his time at Tencent, the project was transitioned into a universal open-source framework under the Apache License 2.0. This phase focused on industry-standard optimization and community-wide adoption.
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The Next Generation (2024.08 - Present): Now as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOP CAS), Shi-Xin Zhang leads the development of TensorCircuit-NG (Next Generation). This current iteration represents a significant evolution, focusing on the fusion of quantum computing, super computing, and intelligent computing, as well as an expanded ecosystem.
As the founder and lead maintainer, Shi-Xin Zhang asserts the project's continuity and academic independence, while thanking the global community for their contributions under the open-source governance model.