Socio-Technical Well-Being of Quantum Software Communities: An Overview on Community Smells

TL;DR

This paper investigates the socio-technical well-being of open-source quantum software communities by examining community smells, defined as socio-technical anti-patterns that contribute to social debt. Employing a cross-sectional MSR-based approach, the authors analyze 17 quantum OSS repositories (from a prior 115-repo dataset) using an augmented csDetector to detect ten smells and compute prevalence $P(X)$ and Prevalence Odds Ratios $POR$ to assess relationships. Results show high prevalence for several smells (notably PDE and TF at up to 94%) and reveal both strong positive and notable negative smell correlations (e.g., RS–BCE with $POR=8.750$, SD–OSE with $POR=5.333$; several zero correlations). The study contributes an empirical baseline, a methodological framework for measuring smells in quantum OSS, and an online appendix to support replication, while acknowledging limitations of cross-sectional design and dataset scope; it points to future qualitative investigations and governance interventions to mitigate social debt in quantum software ecosystems.

Abstract

Quantum computing has gained significant attention due to its potential to solve computational problems beyond the capabilities of classical computers. With major corporations and academic institutions investing in quantum hardware and software, there has been a rise in the development of quantum-enabled systems, particularly within open-source communities. However, despite the promising nature of quantum technologies, these communities face critical socio-technical challenges, including the emergence of socio-technical anti-patterns known as community smells. These anti-patterns, prevalent in open-source environments, have the potential to negatively impact both product quality and community health by introducing technical debt and amplifying architectural and code smells. Despite the importance of these socio-technical factors, there remains a scarcity of research investigating their influence within quantum open-source communities. This work aims to address this gap by providing a first step in analyzing the socio-technical well-being of quantum communities through a cross-sectional study. By understanding the socio-technical dynamics at play, it is expected that foundational knowledge can be established to mitigate the risks associated with community smells and ensure the long-term sustainability of open-source quantum initiatives.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Prevalence of community smells affecting the sampled repositories.
• Figure 2: Prevalence Odds Ratio among the community smells affecting the sampled repositories.