Quantum-inspired Optimization for Efficient Vehicular Edge Computing Resource Allocation in Intelligent Transportation Systems

The increasing adoption of smart mobility and connected vehicles necessitates significant improvements in underlying infrastructure, particularly in real-time data processing and decision-making. Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) has emerged as a vital solution by enabling computation closer to data sources, thereby reducing latency and reliance on centralized cloud systems. However, efficient allocation of edge resources (processing power, bandwidth, and storage) remains a critical challenge due to the highly dynamic, decentralized nature of vehicular networks. Traditional optimization techniques often fall short under these conditions. This study explores a quantum-inspired optimization framework designed to enhance resource management in VEC environments by leveraging principles of quantum computing such as superposition and probabilistic state selection within classical hardware. Extensive simulations involving 10 vehicles and 3 edge servers were conducted to evaluate the framework's performance. The dynamic resource demand fluctuated between 7 and 18 units, and server utilization ranged from 0.2% to 1.4%, illustrating diverse operational conditions. The proposed quantum-inspired model showed superior efficiency, achieving up to 35% improvement in fitness gain compared to traditional algorithms, with convergence to optimal fitness in just 45 iterations. The solution space was explored effectively using quantum state amplitude representations, which improved solution diversity and robustness in decision-making. Furthermore, fairness in resource distribution was evaluated using Jain’s Fairness Index, yielding a high score of 0.914, demonstrating equitable allocation among vehicles. Additional results revealed that task completion times ranged from 1.5 to 3.5 seconds, with processing delays being the major contributor. The system exhibited sublinear scalability, performing well up to 50 vehicles but declining as the vehicle count increased to 200, indicating a need for further optimization strategies. Although the model operates in a classical environment without quantum hardware, it offers substantial performance benefits. This research highlights the potential of quantum-inspired optimization for real-time, fair, and scalable resource management in vehicular networks. Future work should incorporate real-world vehicular trace data, expand scalability tests, and explore integration with 5G and energy harvesting mechanisms. These advancements will further support intelligent, secure, and sustainable transportation systems driven by edge computing technologies.