Computational costs of data definition at the quantum - classical interface

Model-independent semantic requirements for user specification and interpretation of data before and after quantum computations are characterized. Classical computational costs of assigning classical data values to quantum registers and to run-time parameters passed across a classical-to-quantum application programming interface are derived. It is shown that the classical computational costs of data definition equal or exceed the classical computational cost of solving the problem of interest for all applications of quantum computing except computations defined over the integers and the simulation of linear systems with linear boundary conditions.