Year: 1996
Type: preprint
Abstract: Imagine a phone directory containing N names arranged in completely random order. In order to find someone's phone number with a 50% probability, any classical algorithm (whether deterministic or probabilistic) will need to look at a minimum of N/2 names. Quantum mechanical systems can be in a superposition of states and simultaneously examine multiple names. By properly adjusting the phases of various operations, successful computations reinforce each other while others interfere randomly. As a result, the desired phone number can be obtained in only O(sqrt(N)) steps. The algorithm is within a small constant factor of the fastest possible quantum mechanical algorithm.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Author: Grover, Lov K.
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2952684570