In chapter 10 of his dissertation [1], Gabriel Tavares, talked about some real-world applications of QUBO. He also proposed a new approach to solve QUBOs by modifying some of the previously existed methods.
Authors in [2], listed a wide range of important optimization problems that the QUBO model encompasses:
- Quadratic Assignment Problems
- Capital Budgeting Problems
- Multiple Knapsack Problems
- Task Allocation Problems (distributed computer systems)
- Maximum Diversity Problems
- P-Median Problems
- Asymmetric Assignment Problems
- Symmetric Assignment Problems
- Side Constrained Assignment Problems
- Quadratic Knapsack Problems
- Constraint Satisfaction Problems (CSPs)
- Set Partitioning Problems
- Fixed Charge Warehouse Location Problems
- Maximum Clique Problems
- Maximum Independent Set Problems
- Maximum Cut Problems
- Graph Coloring Problems
- Graph Partitioning Problems
- Number Partitioning Problems
- Linear Ordering Problems
- Number Partitioning Problems.
In [3], which is a tutorial of modeling and solving combinatorial optimization problems, the authors mention illustrative computational examples of using QUBO in modeling and solving real-world problems in section 5 of the paper including the following examples:
- Warehouse Location: (Single source, Uncapacitated)
- Constraint Satisfiability problems (CSPs)
- Quadratic Knapsack Problems
- Maximum Diversity
- Set Partitioning
- Vertex Coloring
- Maximum Clique (Max Independent Set)
These are some of the interesting papers that I found in the literature (because of my curiosity - I am not an expert in this field). I believe there should be some valuable clues to follow, in these papers.
[1] Tavares, Gabriel. New algorithms for Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) with applications in engineering and social sciences. Diss. Rutgers University-Graduate School-New Brunswick, 2008.
[2] Glover, Fred, Gary Kochenberger, and Yu Du. "A Tutorial on Formulating and Using QUBO Models." (2019).
[3] Kochenberger, Gary A., and Fred Glover. "A unified framework for modeling and solving combinatorial optimization problems: A tutorial." Multiscale Optimization Methods and Applications. Springer, Boston, MA, 2006. 101-124.