A computer-implemented method for root cause analysis in a communication network, the method comprising: generating, as input data, (i) data representing a topology of the communication network, the topology comprising a graph of vertices representing network devices and edges representing connections between network devices, and (ii) a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) formulation of a task of determining a minimum dominating set of vertices for the graph or a minimum vertex cover of the graph, wherein the QUBO formulation of the task of determining a minimum dominating set of vertices for the graph is given by min x i ∈ 0 1 ∑ i = 0 N − 1 x i + P ∑ i = 0 N − 1 1 − x i − ∑ j: v j ∈ N i x j + ∑ k = 0 log 2 N i + 1 − 1 b i, k 2 k 2 where N represents the number of vertices in the graph, represents a set of vertices adjacent to vertex i, P represents a penalty constant, x i represent binary variables that take the value 1 if vertex i is in the minimum dominating set and take the value 0 otherwise, and b i,k represent binary variables; providing a quantum computing resource with the input data comprising (i) the data representing the topology of the communication network, and (ii) the QUBO formulation of the task; receiving, from the quantum computing resource, data representing a first subset of network devices in the communication network, wherein the first subset comprises i) the minimum dominating set of vertices for the graph or ii) the minimum vertex cover for the graph; monitoring network devices in the first subset to generate alarm data representing triggered network device alarms; and determining, based on the alarm data, root-cause failures in the communication network. generating, as input data, (i) data representing a topology of the communication network, the topology comprising a graph of vertices representing network devices and edges representing connections between network devices, and (ii) a quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) formulation of a task of determining a minimum dominating set of vertices for the graph or a minimum vertex cover of the graph, wherein the QUBO formulation of the task of determining a minimum dominating set of vertices for the graph is given by min x i ∈ 0 1 ∑ i = 0 N − 1 x i + P ∑ i = 0 N − 1 1 − x i − ∑ j: v j ∈ N i x j + ∑ k = 0 log 2 N i + 1 − 1 b i, k 2 k 2 where N represents the number of vertices in the graph, represents a set of vertices adjacent to vertex i, P represents a penalty constant, x i represent binary variables that take the value 1 if vertex i is in the minimum dominating set and take the value 0 otherwise, and b i,k represent binary variables; providing a quantum computing resource with the input data comprising (i) the data representing the topology of the communication network, and (ii) the QUBO formulation of the task; receiving, from the quantum computing resource, data representing a first subset of network devices in the communication network, wherein the first subset comprises i) the minimum dominating set of vertices for the graph or ii) the minimum vertex cover for the graph; monitoring network devices in the first subset to generate alarm data representing triggered network device alarms; and determining, based on the alarm data, root-cause failures in the communication network.