Methods, systems and apparatus for estimating an expectation value of a quantum mechanical observable. In one aspect, a method includes identifying a first operator associated with the observable, wherein the first operator comprises a linear combination of terms. One or more constraints on expectation values of one or more of the terms in the linear combination are determined. A second operator is defined, wherein the second operator comprises a combination of the first operator and one or more of the determined constraints. The expectation value of the quantum mechanical observable is estimated using the second operator.