Quantum Computers Can Search Arbitrarily Large Databases by a Single Query
Open accessAbstract
This paper shows that a quantum mechanical algorithm that can query information relating to multiple items of the database can search a database for a unique item satisfying a given condition, in a single query [a query is defined as any question to the database to which the database has to return a (yes/no answer]. A classical algorithm will be limited to the information theoretic bound of at least ${log}_{2}N$ queries, which it would achieve by using a binary search.
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A quantum computer can in principle exploit coherent quantum interference and entanglement to perform computations such as factoring large numbers or searching an unsorted database more rapidly than classical computers.
“In principle, it can exploit coherent quantum interference and entanglement to perform computations, such as factoring large numbers or searching an unsorted database, more rapidly than classical computers 1,2,6-8 .”
From Experimental realization of a quantum algorithm (1998) · cites this paper as [8]
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Cites
Quantum Mechanics Helps in Searching for a Needle in a Haystack
Grover, L. K. (1997) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.79.325 · Cited by 4,306 · see citing works
Self-citationStrengths and Weaknesses of Quantum Computing
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Tight Bounds on Quantum Searching
Boyer, M., Gilles Brassard, A., Høyer, P., & Tappa, A. (1999) · doi:10.1002/3527603093.ch10 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Single quantum querying of a database
Terhal, B. M., & Smolin, J. A. (1998) · Physical Review A · doi:10.1103/physreva.58.1822 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
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Gottesman, D., & Chuang, I. L. (1999) · Nature · doi:10.1038/46503 · Cited by 1,860 · see citing works
Experimental realization of a quantum algorithm
Chuang, I. L., Vandersypen, L. M. K., Zhou, X., Leung, D. W., & Lloyd, S. (1998) · Nature · doi:10.1038/30181 · Cited by 604 · see citing works
t|ket⟩: a retargetable compiler for NISQ devices
Sivarajah, S., Dilkes, S., Cowtan, A., Simmons, W., Edgington, A., & Duncan, R. (2021) · Quantum Science and Technology · doi:10.1088/2058-9565/ab8e92 · Cited by 475 · see citing works
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Lidar, D. A., & Wang, H. (1999) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.59.2429 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Implementation of a three-quantum-bit search algorithm
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Target tracking control of UAV through deep reinforcement learning
Ma, B., Liu, Z., Zhao, W., Yuan, J., Long, H., Wang, X., & Yuan, Z. (2023) · IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems · doi:10.1109/tits.2023.3249900 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Experimental and theoretical challenges for the trapped electron quantum computer
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- Authors
- Grover, L. K.
- Affiliations
- AT&T (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- Grover, Lov K.
- Venue
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Published
- 1997-12-08
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 4709-4712
- ISSN
- 0031-9007 (ISSN-L)
- 1079-7114
- OpenAlex
- W1993118579
- Cited by
- 432
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 20.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Locations
- Physical Review Letters (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Quantum Information and Cryptography
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum Mechanics and Applications
- Keywords
- quantum search, Grover's algorithm, database searching, information-theoretic lower bounds, binary search, quantum algorithms, query complexity
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