---
title: IntegerComparator (v2.0)
description: API reference for qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator in qiskit v2.0
source: https://eu-de.quantum.cloud.ibm.com/docs/en/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator
---

# IntegerComparator

*class* `qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator(num_state_qubits=None, value=None, geq=True, name='cmp')`

[GitHub](https://github.com/Qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/2.0/qiskit/circuit/library/arithmetic/integer_comparator.py#L27-L169)

Bases: `BlueprintCircuit`

Integer Comparator.

Operator compares basis states $|i\rangle_n$ against a classically given integer $L$ of fixed value and flips a target qubit if $i \geq L$ (or $<$ depending on the parameter `geq`):

$$
|i\rangle_n |0\rangle \mapsto |i\rangle_n |i \geq L\rangle
$$

This operation is based on two’s complement implementation of binary subtraction but only uses carry bits and no actual result bits. If the most significant carry bit (the results bit) is 1, the $\geq$ condition is `True` otherwise it is `False`.

Create a new fixed value comparator circuit.

**Parameters**

- **num\_state\_qubits** ([*int*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int) *| None*) – Number of state qubits. If this is set it will determine the number of qubits required for the circuit.
- **value** ([*int*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#int) *| None*) – The fixed value to compare with.
- **geq** ([*bool*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/functions.html#bool)) – If True, evaluate a `>=` condition, else `<`.
- **name** ([*str*](https://docs.python.org/3/library/stdtypes.html#str)) – Name of the circuit.

## Attributes

### ancillas

A list of `AncillaQubit`s in the order that they were added. You should not mutate this.

### clbits

A list of `Clbit`s in the order that they were added. You should not mutate this.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumRegister, ClassicalRegister, QuantumCircuit

qr1 = QuantumRegister(2)
qr2 = QuantumRegister(1)
cr1 = ClassicalRegister(2)
cr2 = ClassicalRegister(1)
qc = QuantumCircuit(qr1, qr2, cr1, cr2)

print("List the qubits in this circuit:", qc.qubits)
print("List the classical bits in this circuit:", qc.clbits)
```

```text
List the qubits in this circuit: [Qubit(QuantumRegister(2, 'q0'), 0),
Qubit(QuantumRegister(2, 'q0'), 1), Qubit(QuantumRegister(1, 'q1'), 0)]
List the classical bits in this circuit: [Clbit(ClassicalRegister(2, 'c0'), 0),
Clbit(ClassicalRegister(2, 'c0'), 1), Clbit(ClassicalRegister(1, 'c1'), 0)]
```

### cregs

A list of `Clbit`s in the order that they were added. You should not mutate this.

### data

The circuit data (instructions and context).

**Returns**

a list-like object containing the [`CircuitInstruction`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.circuit.CircuitInstruction "qiskit.circuit.CircuitInstruction")s for each instruction.

**Return type**

QuantumCircuitData

### duration

The total duration of the circuit, set by a scheduling transpiler pass. Its unit is specified by [`unit`](#qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.unit "qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.unit").

> **Deprecated since version 1.3.0**
>
> The property `qiskit.circuit.quantumcircuit.QuantumCircuit.duration` is deprecated as of Qiskit 1.3.0. It will be removed in Qiskit 3.0.0.

### geq

Return whether the comparator compares greater or less equal.

**Returns**

True, if the comparator compares `>=`, False if `<`.

### global\_phase

The global phase of the current circuit scope in radians.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit

circuit = QuantumCircuit(2)
circuit.h(0)
circuit.cx(0, 1)
print(circuit.global_phase)
```

```text
0.0
```

```python
from numpy import pi

circuit.global_phase = pi/4
print(circuit.global_phase)
```

```text
0.7853981633974483
```

### instances

Default value: `262`

### layout

Return any associated layout information about the circuit.

This attribute contains an optional [`TranspileLayout`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.transpiler.TranspileLayout "qiskit.transpiler.TranspileLayout") object. This is typically set on the output from [`transpile()`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/compiler#qiskit.compiler.transpile "qiskit.compiler.transpile") or [`PassManager.run()`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.transpiler.PassManager#run "qiskit.transpiler.PassManager.run") to retain information about the permutations caused on the input circuit by transpilation.

There are two types of permutations caused by the [`transpile()`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/compiler#qiskit.compiler.transpile "qiskit.compiler.transpile") function: an initial layout that permutes the qubits based on the selected physical qubits on the [`Target`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.transpiler.Target "qiskit.transpiler.Target"), and a final layout, which is an output permutation caused by [`SwapGate`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.circuit.library.SwapGate "qiskit.circuit.library.SwapGate")s inserted during routing.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit
from qiskit.providers.fake_provider import GenericBackendV2
from qiskit.transpiler import generate_preset_pass_manager

# Create circuit to test transpiler on
qc = QuantumCircuit(3, 3)
qc.h(0)
qc.cx(0, 1)
qc.swap(1, 2)
qc.cx(0, 1)

# Add measurements to the circuit
qc.measure([0, 1, 2], [0, 1, 2])

# Specify the QPU to target
backend = GenericBackendV2(3)

# Transpile the circuit
pass_manager = generate_preset_pass_manager(
optimization_level=1, backend=backend
)
transpiled = pass_manager.run(qc)

# Print the layout after transpilation
print(transpiled.layout.routing_permutation())
```

```text
[0, 1, 2]
```

### metadata

Arbitrary user-defined dictionary of metadata for the circuit.

Qiskit will not examine the content of this mapping, but it will pass it through the transpiler and reattach it to the output, so you can track your own metadata.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit

qc = QuantumCircuit(2, 2, metadata={'experiment_type': 'Bell state experiment'})

print(qc.metadata)
```

```text
{'experiment_type': 'Bell state experiment'}
```

### num\_ancillas

Return the number of ancilla qubits.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit, QuantumRegister, AncillaRegister

# Create a 2-qubit quantum circuit
reg = QuantumRegister(2)
qc = QuantumCircuit(reg)

# Create an ancilla register with 1 qubit
anc = AncillaRegister(1)
qc.add_register(anc)  # Add the ancilla register to the circuit

print("Number of ancilla qubits:", qc.num_ancillas)
```

```text
Number of ancilla qubits: 1
```

### num\_captured\_stretches

The number of stretches in the circuit marked as captured from an enclosing scope.

This is the length of the `iter_captured_stretches()` iterable. If this is non-zero, [`num_input_vars`](#qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_input_vars "qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_input_vars") must be zero.

### num\_captured\_vars

The number of real-time classical variables in the circuit marked as captured from an enclosing scope.

This is the length of the `iter_captured_vars()` iterable. If this is non-zero, [`num_input_vars`](#qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_input_vars "qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_input_vars") must be zero.

### num\_clbits

Return number of classical bits.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit

# Create a new circuit with two qubits and one classical bit
qc = QuantumCircuit(2, 1)
print("Number of classical bits:", qc.num_clbits)
```

```text
Number of classical bits: 1
```

### num\_declared\_stretches

The number of stretches in the circuit that are declared by this circuit scope, excluding captures.

This is the length of the `iter_declared_stretches()` iterable.

### num\_declared\_vars

The number of real-time classical variables in the circuit that are declared by this circuit scope, excluding inputs or captures.

This is the length of the `iter_declared_vars()` iterable.

### num\_identifiers

The number of real-time classical variables and stretches in the circuit.

This is equal to [`num_vars()`](#qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_vars "qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_vars") + [`num_stretches()`](#qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_stretches "qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_stretches").

### num\_input\_vars

The number of real-time classical variables in the circuit marked as circuit inputs.

This is the length of the `iter_input_vars()` iterable. If this is non-zero, [`num_captured_vars`](#qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_captured_vars "qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.num_captured_vars") must be zero.

### num\_parameters

The number of parameter objects in the circuit.

### num\_qubits

Return number of qubits.

### num\_state\_qubits

The number of qubits encoding the state for the comparison.

**Returns**

The number of state qubits.

### num\_stretches

The number of stretches in the circuit.

This is the length of the `iter_stretches()` iterable.

### num\_vars

The number of real-time classical variables in the circuit.

This is the length of the `iter_vars()` iterable.

### op\_start\_times

Return a list of operation start times.

> **Note**
>
> This attribute computes the estimate starting time of the operations in the scheduled circuit and only works for simple circuits that have no control flow or other classical feed-forward operations.

This attribute is enabled once one of scheduling analysis passes runs on the quantum circuit.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit
from qiskit.providers.fake_provider import GenericBackendV2
from qiskit.transpiler import generate_preset_pass_manager

qc = QuantumCircuit(2)
qc.h(0)
qc.cx(0, 1)
qc.measure_all()

# Print the original circuit
print("Original circuit:")
print(qc)

# Transpile the circuit with a specific basis gates list and print the resulting circuit
backend = GenericBackendV2(2, basis_gates=['u1', 'u2', 'u3', 'cx'])
pm = generate_preset_pass_manager(
    optimization_level=1, backend=backend, scheduling_method="alap"
)
transpiled_qc = pm.run(qc)
print("Transpiled circuit with basis gates ['u1', 'u2', 'u3', 'cx']:")
print(transpiled_qc)

# Print the start times of each instruction in the transpiled circuit
print("Start times of instructions in the transpiled circuit:")
for instruction, start_time in zip(transpiled_qc.data, transpiled_qc.op_start_times):
    print(f"{instruction.operation.name}: {start_time}")
```

```text
Original circuit:
        ┌───┐      ░ ┌─┐
q_0: ┤ H ├──■───░─┤M├───
        └───┘┌─┴─┐ ░ └╥┘┌─┐
q_1: ─────┤ X ├─░──╫─┤M├
            └───┘ ░  ║ └╥┘
meas: 2/══════════════╩══╩═
                    0  1

Transpiled circuit with basis gates ['u1', 'u2', 'u3', 'cx']:
            ┌─────────┐          ░ ┌─────────────────┐┌─┐
q_0 -> 0 ───┤ U2(0,π) ├──────■───░─┤ Delay(1255[dt]) ├┤M├
        ┌──┴─────────┴───┐┌─┴─┐ ░ └───────┬─┬───────┘└╥┘
q_1 -> 1 ┤ Delay(196[dt]) ├┤ X ├─░─────────┤M├─────────╫─
        └────────────────┘└───┘ ░         └╥┘         ║
meas: 2/═══════════════════════════════════╩══════════╩═
                                            1          0

Start times of instructions in the transpiled circuit:
u2: 0
delay: 0
cx: 196
barrier: 2098
delay: 2098
measure: 3353
measure: 2098
```

**Returns**

List of integers representing instruction estimated start times. The index corresponds to the index of instruction in `QuantumCircuit.data`.

**Raises**

[**AttributeError**](https://docs.python.org/3/library/exceptions.html#AttributeError) – When circuit is not scheduled.

### parameters

The parameters defined in the circuit.

This attribute returns the [`Parameter`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.circuit.Parameter "qiskit.circuit.Parameter") objects in the circuit sorted alphabetically. Note that parameters instantiated with a [`ParameterVector`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.circuit.ParameterVector "qiskit.circuit.ParameterVector") are still sorted numerically.

**Examples**

The snippet below shows that insertion order of parameters does not matter.

```python
>>> from qiskit.circuit import QuantumCircuit, Parameter
>>> a, b, elephant = Parameter("a"), Parameter("b"), Parameter("elephant")
>>> circuit = QuantumCircuit(1)
>>> circuit.rx(b, 0)
>>> circuit.rz(elephant, 0)
>>> circuit.ry(a, 0)
>>> circuit.parameters  # sorted alphabetically!
ParameterView([Parameter(a), Parameter(b), Parameter(elephant)])
```

Bear in mind that alphabetical sorting might be unintuitive when it comes to numbers. The literal “10” comes before “2” in strict alphabetical sorting.

```python
>>> from qiskit.circuit import QuantumCircuit, Parameter
>>> angles = [Parameter("angle_1"), Parameter("angle_2"), Parameter("angle_10")]
>>> circuit = QuantumCircuit(1)
>>> circuit.u(*angles, 0)
>>> circuit.draw()
   ┌─────────────────────────────┐
q: ┤ U(angle_1,angle_2,angle_10) ├
   └─────────────────────────────┘
>>> circuit.parameters
ParameterView([Parameter(angle_1), Parameter(angle_10), Parameter(angle_2)])
```

To respect numerical sorting, a [`ParameterVector`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.circuit.ParameterVector "qiskit.circuit.ParameterVector") can be used.

```python
>>> from qiskit.circuit import QuantumCircuit, Parameter, ParameterVector
>>> x = ParameterVector("x", 12)
>>> circuit = QuantumCircuit(1)
>>> for x_i in x:
...     circuit.rx(x_i, 0)
>>> circuit.parameters
ParameterView([
    ParameterVectorElement(x[0]), ParameterVectorElement(x[1]),
    ParameterVectorElement(x[2]), ParameterVectorElement(x[3]),
    ..., ParameterVectorElement(x[11])
])
```

**Returns**

The sorted [`Parameter`](/docs/api/qiskit/2.0/qiskit.circuit.Parameter "qiskit.circuit.Parameter") objects in the circuit.

### prefix

Default value: `'circuit'`

### qregs

A list of the quantum registers associated with the circuit.

### qubits

A list of `Qubit`s in the order that they were added. You should not mutate this.

### unit

The unit that [`duration`](#qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.duration "qiskit.circuit.library.IntegerComparator.duration") is specified in.

> **Deprecated since version 1.3.0**
>
> The property `qiskit.circuit.quantumcircuit.QuantumCircuit.unit` is deprecated as of Qiskit 1.3.0. It will be removed in Qiskit 3.0.0.

### value

The value to compare the qubit register to.

**Returns**

The value against which the value of the qubit register is compared.

### name

Type: `str`

A human-readable name for the circuit.

**Example**

```python
from qiskit import QuantumCircuit

qc = QuantumCircuit(2, 2, name="my_circuit")
print(qc.name)
```

```text
my_circuit
```