  The propagation of errors severely compromises the reliability of quantum
computations. The quantum adiabatic algorithm is a physically motivated method
to prepare ground states of classical and quantum Hamiltonians. Here, we
analyze the proliferation of a single error event in the adiabatic algorithm.
We give numerical evidence using tensor network methods that the intrinsic
properties of adiabatic processes effectively constrain the amplification of
errors during the evolution for geometrically local Hamiltonians. Our findings
indicate that low energy states could remain attainable even in the presence of
a single error event, which contrasts with results for error propagation in
typical quantum circuits.
