Construct multi-qubit Pauli terms and sums from strings

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ Changelog
     and a [Feature Request Template](.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/FEATURE_REQUEST.md),
     which contain sections to fill out when filing a bug or suggesting an enhancement
     (@karalekas, gh-985, gh-986).
+-   `PauliSum` objects can now be constructed from strings via
+    `from_compact_str()` and `PauliTerm.from_compact_str()` supports multi-qubit
+    strings (@jlbosse, gh-984).
 
 ### Improvements and Changes
 

docs/source/apidocs/pauli.rst

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ Classes
         ~PauliSum.get_qubits
         ~PauliSum.simplify
         ~PauliSum.get_programs
+        ~PauliSum.from_compact_str
 
 
 .. autoclass:: pyquil.paulis.PauliTerm

pyquil/paulis.py

@@ -357,23 +357,38 @@ def from_list(cls, terms_list, coefficient=1.0):
     def from_compact_str(cls, str_pauli_term):
         """Construct a PauliTerm from the result of str(pauli_term)
         """
-        coef_str, str_pauli_term = str_pauli_term.split('*')
+        # split into str_coef, str_op at first '*'' outside parenthesis
         try:
-            coef = int(coef_str)
+            str_coef, str_op = re.split(r'\*(?![^(]*\))', str_pauli_term,
+                                        maxsplit=1)
+        except ValueError:
+            raise ValueError("Could not separate the pauli string into "
+                             f"coefficient and operator. {str_pauli_term} does"
+                             " not match <coefficient>*<operator>")
+
+        # parse the coefficient into either a float or complex
+        str_coef = str_coef.replace(' ', '')
+        try:
+            coef = float(str_coef)
         except ValueError:
             try:
-                coef = float(coef_str)
+                coef = complex(str_coef)
             except ValueError:
-                coef = complex(coef_str)
+                raise ValueError("Could not parse the coefficient "
+                                 f"{str_coef}")
 
         op = sI() * coef
-        if str_pauli_term == 'I':
+        if str_op == 'I':
             return op
-        ma = re.fullmatch(r'(([XYZ])(\d+))+', str_pauli_term)
-        if ma is None:
-            raise ValueError(f"Could not parse pauli string {str_pauli_term}")
-        for ma in re.finditer(r'([XYZ])(\d+)', str_pauli_term):
-            op *= cls(ma.group(1), int(ma.group(2)))
+
+        # parse the operator
+        str_op = re.sub(r'\*', '', str_op)
+        if not re.match(r'^(([XYZ])(\d+))+$', str_op):
+            raise ValueError(f"Could not parse operator string {str_op}. "
+                             r"It should match ^(([XYZ])(\d+))+$")
+
+        for factor in re.finditer(r'([XYZ])(\d+)', str_op):
+            op *= cls(factor.group(1), int(factor.group(2)))
 
         return op
 
@@ -677,6 +692,28 @@ def get_programs(self):
         coefficients = np.array([term.coefficient for term in self.terms])
         return programs, coefficients
 
+    def compact_str(self):
+        """A string representation of the PauliSum that is more compact than ``str(pauli_sum)``
+
+        >>> pauli_sum = 2.0 * sX(1)* sZ(2) + 1.5 * sY(2)
+        >>> str(pauli_sum)
+        >>> '2.0*X1*X2 + 1.5*Y2'
+        >>> pauli_sum.compact_str()
+        >>> '2.0*X1X2+1.5*Y2'
+        """
+        return "+".join([term.compact_str() for term in self.terms])
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_compact_str(cls, str_pauli_sum):
+        """Construct a PauliSum from the result of str(pauli_sum)
+        """
+        # split str_pauli_sum only at "+" outside of parenthesis to allow
+        # e.g. "0.5*X0 + (0.5+0j)*Z2"
+        str_terms = re.split(r'\+(?![^(]*\))', str_pauli_sum)
+        str_terms = [s.strip() for s in str_terms]
+        terms = [PauliTerm.from_compact_str(term) for term in str_terms]
+        return cls(terms).simplify()
+
 
 def simplify_pauli_sum(pauli_sum):
     """Simplify the sum of Pauli operators according to Pauli algebra rules."""

pyquil/tests/test_paulis.py

@@ -676,3 +676,41 @@ def test_identity_no_qubit():
 def test_qubit_validation():
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         op = sX(None)
+
+
+def test_pauli_term_from_str():
+    # tests that should _not_ fail are in test_pauli_sum_from_str
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        PauliTerm.from_compact_str("X0")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        PauliTerm.from_compact_str("10")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        PauliTerm.from_compact_str("1.0X0")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        PauliTerm.from_compact_str("(1.0+9i)*X0")
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        PauliTerm.from_compact_str("(1.0+0j)*A0")
+
+
+def test_pauli_sum_from_str():
+    # this also tests PauliTerm.from_compact_str() since it gets called
+    Sum = (1.5 + .5j) * sX(0) * sZ(2) + 0.7 * sZ(1)
+    another_str = "(1.5 + 0.5j)*X0*Z2+.7*Z1"
+    assert PauliSum.from_compact_str(str(Sum)) == Sum
+    assert PauliSum.from_compact_str(Sum.compact_str()) == Sum
+    assert PauliSum.from_compact_str(another_str) == Sum
+
+    # test sums of length one
+    Sum = PauliSum([1 * sY(0) * sY(1)])
+    the_str = "1*Y0*Y1"
+    assert PauliSum.from_compact_str(the_str) == Sum
+
+    # test sums containing the identity
+    Sum = (1.5 + .5j) * sX(0) * sZ(2) + 0.7 * sI(1)
+    the_str = "(1.5 + 0.5j)*X0*Z2+.7*I"
+    assert PauliSum.from_compact_str(the_str) == Sum
+
+    # test the simplification (both in sums and products)
+    Sum = PauliSum([2 * sY(1)])
+    the_str = "1*Y0*X0 + (0+1j)*Z0 + 2*Y1"
+    assert PauliSum.from_compact_str(the_str) == Sum