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arXiv:2604.21788

Partial oracles quantum algorithm framework -- Part I: Analysis of in-place operations

Fintan M. Bolton

quant-phSubmitted Apr 23, 2026• Announced Apr 24, 2026• 0 citations
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Abstract

The partial oracles framework is a quantum search algorithm that has the potential to exceed the quadratic speedup of Grover's algorithm, up to a theoretical maximum of an exponential speedup. Until now, however, the framework has lacked an explicit method for constructing the operator that represents the search iteration. In this paper, we provide the missing construction, for the special case of an oracle function definable using only in-place operations (that is, where the calculated result of the oracle function can be read just from the qubits in the search index). The restriction to in-place operations means that the current work does not yet exhibit quantum advantage: oracle functions constructed using only in-place operations are always classically reversible. To demonstrate quantum advantage, it will be necessary to extend this construction method to include out-of-place operations (part II). As part of the construction of the search iteration operator, we define a new type of transform, the reciprocal transform, which is applied to the oracle function. We show that the reciprocal transform obeys a chain rule, which makes it possible to break down complex transforms into simple steps. To illustrate the practical application of this search method, we apply the reciprocal transform to elementary operations from the SHA-256 hash algorithm: addition modulo $2^n$, the $Maj(a, b, c)$ function, the $Ch(a, b, c)$ function, and the bit shift functions. We also introduce the QFrame python library, which is used to automate the construction of quantum circuits that represent reciprocal transforms.

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The partial oracles framework is a quantum search algorithm that has the potential to exceed the quadratic speedup of Grover's algorithm, up to a theoretical maximum of an exponential speedup. Until now, however, the framework has lacked an explicit method for constructing the operator that represents the search iteration. In this paper, we provide the missing construction, for the special case of an oracle function definable using only in-place operations (that is, where the calculated result of the oracle function can be read just from the qubits in the search index). The restriction to in-place operations means that the current work does not yet exhibit quantum advantage: oracle functions constructed using only in-place operations are always classically reversible. To demonstrate quantum advantage, it will be necessary to extend this construction method to include out-of-place operations (part II). As part of the construction of the search iteration operator, we define a new type of transform, the reciprocal transform, which is applied to the oracle function. We show that the reciprocal transform obeys a chain rule, which makes it possible to break down complex transforms into simple steps. To illustrate the practical application of this search method, we apply the reciprocal transform to elementary operations from the SHA-256 hash algorithm: addition modulo 2n2^n2n, the Maj(a,b,c)Maj(a, b, c)Maj(a,b,c) function, the Ch(a,b,c)Ch(a, b, c)Ch(a,b,c) function, and the bit shift functions. We also introduce the QFrame python library, which is used to automate the construction of quantum circuits that represent reciprocal transforms.
Abstract This guide is based on the IBM Quantum course Phase Estimation and Factoring and focuses on Grover’s algorithm, a quantum algorithm for unstructured search problems that provides a quadratic speedup over classical approaches. In an unstructured search problem, we are given a function (often represented as an oracle) that marks one or more “correct” solutions among NNN possible candidates. A classical algorithm requires on the order of O(N)O(N)O(N) evaluations in the worst case. In contrast, Grover’s algorithm finds a solution using only O(N)O(\sqrt{N})O(N) oracle queries. This quadratic improvement implies: The quantum algorithm requires roughly the square root of the number of operations needed classically. Any classical algorithm for unstructured search must have cost at least quadratic relative to Grover’s quantum procedure. Core Idea of the Algorithm Grover’s algorithm relies on: Preparation of a uniform superposition (typically using Hadamard gates). An oracle that marks valid solutions via phase inversion. The Grover diffusion operator, which amplifies the probability amplitude of the marked states through interference. By repeatedly applying the Grover operator, the amplitude of the desired solution grows while others diminish, allowing measurement to reveal the correct answer with high probability. Practical Considerations Despite its theoretical elegance and wide applicability, the quadratic speedup of Grover’s algorithm is unlikely to yield near-term practical advantage. Modern classical hardware operates at extremely high clock rates and is vastly more mature than current quantum devices. For problem sizes accessible to today’s quantum computers, classical systems remain dominant. However, history shows that even sub-quadratic classical improvements — such as: Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) Efficient sorting algorithms like quicksort and mergesort have had transformative practical impact. The crucial distinction is that Grover’s algorithm depends on fundamentally different hardware — quantum processors — which are still in early development. Long-Term Perspective As quantum hardware advances in qubit count, coherence time, and error correction, Grover’s quadratic advantage may become practically significant for: Cryptographic key search Optimization heuristics Combinatorial search problems Amplitude amplification subroutines in broader quantum algorithms Through hands-on experimentation on IBM Q, this lesson demonstrates how theoretical amplitude amplification translates into executable quantum circuits, reinforcing the relationship between interference, probability amplitudes, and computational complexity.
Quantum search is among the most important algorithms in quantum computing. At its core is quantum amplitude amplification, a technique that achieves a quadratic speedup over classical search by combining two global reflections: the oracle, which marks the target, and the diffusion operator, which reflects about the initial state. We show that this speedup can be preserved when the oracle is the only global operator, with all other operations acting locally on non-overlapping partitions of the search register. We present a recursive construction that, when the initial and target states both decompose as tensor products over these chosen partitions, admits an exact closed-form solution for the algorithm's dynamics. This is enabled by an intriguing degeneracy in the principal angles between successive reflections, which collapse to just two distinct values governed by a single recursively defined angle. Applied to unstructured search, a problem that naturally satisfies the tensor decomposition, the approach retains the O(N)O(\sqrt{N})O(N​) oracle complexity of Grover search when each partition contains at least log⁡2(log⁡2N)\log_2(\log_2 N)log2​(log2​N) qubits. On an 18-qubit search problem, partitioning into two stages reduces the non-oracle circuit depth by as much as 51%-96% relative to Grover, requiring up to 9% additional oracle calls. For larger problem sizes this oracle overhead rapidly diminishes, and valuable depth reductions persist when the oracle circuit is substantially deeper than the diffusion operator. More broadly, these results show that a global diffusion operator is not necessary to achieve the quadratic speedup in quantum search, offering a new perspective on this foundational algorithm. Moreover, the scalar reduction at the heart of our analysis inspires and motivates new directions and innovations in quantum algorithm design and evaluation.
Abstract This laboratory work presents a practical implementation of Grover’s search algorithm using the Qiskit framework. The material is based on educational resources developed by the International Quantum Center at CERN (Switzerland) and is intended to provide hands-on experience with amplitude amplification and oracle-based quantum search. In Laboratory Work No. 7, participants construct Grover’s algorithm step by step. The implementation begins with defining a function that initializes the quantum registers and prepares the initial stage of the circuit. The output qubit associated with the oracle is set to the state ∣1⟩|1\rangle∣1⟩ to enable phase inversion through the phase kickback mechanism. Hadamard gates are then applied to create a uniform superposition over the search space. The oracle is designed to mark the target state by applying a phase shift, effectively flipping the sign of the amplitude corresponding to the solution. This is followed by the diffusion operator (inversion about the mean), which amplifies the probability amplitude of the marked state. The Grover iteration—composed of the oracle and diffusion operator—is repeated an optimal number of times to maximize the probability of measuring the correct result. The laboratory exercise emphasizes the principles of quantum amplitude amplification, circuit modularization, oracle construction, and measurement-based verification. By executing the algorithm on simulators and cloud-accessible quantum hardware, participants observe the quadratic speedup of Grover’s algorithm compared to classical linear search methods. This practical guide bridges theoretical understanding of quantum search with executable quantum circuits, reinforcing the operational aspects of quantum algorithm design within modern quantum computing
Grover’s algorithm is widely celebrated as providing quadratic quantum speedup for unsorted database search, forming the theoretical foundation for numerous claimed quantum advantages in machine learning, optimization, and computational applications. We demonstrate that Grover’s algorithm and oracle-based quantum search algorithms face three fundamental barriers that severely limit their practical applicability. First, we identify the Grover Dilemma: when the computational space exceeds the valid data space, Grover’s algorithm must choose between 1) creating uniform superposition over all computational states—including invalid states that lead to incorrect results, 2) restricting superposition to only valid states containing solutions—requiring prior knowledge that reduces the problem to trivial O(1) complexity, or 3) constructing superposition over valid states through classical preprocessing—requiring O(N) cost that eliminates the claimed O( N ) quantum advantage. We extend this analysis to establish a unified framework of three independent barriers affecting oracle-based quantum search: 1) the Grover Dilemma (superposition construction for structured problems), 2) the Setup Cost Dilemma (oracle construction and data loading costs), and 3) Oracle Circularity (oracle specification requiring solution of the target problem). These barriers are logically independent—a quantum algorithm must avoid all three to achieve genuine advantage. Through systematic analysis of major problem classes and specific quantum algorithms, we found that oracle-based quantum search provides genuine computational advantage only in an exceptionally narrow class of problems. Our contributions are formalized in ten theorems: Theorems 6.1-6.5 establish the general framework (Grover Dilemma Barrier, Setup Cost Barrier, Oracle Circularity Barrier, Composite Barrier, and general conditions for no quantum advantage); Theorems 6.6-6.8 prove no quantum advantage for Deutsch’s Algorithm, Deutsch-Jozsa Algorithm, and Simon’s Algorithm in practical scenarios; Theorems 6.9-6.10 prove no quantum advantage for NP-complete problems and learning/optimization problems subject to Oracle Circularity. The three-barrier framework provides a systematic method for evaluating quantum search algorithm claims and distinguishing genuine advantages from artifacts of incomplete cost analysis.
Grover’s algorithm is one of the primary algorithms offered as evidence that quantum computers can provide an advantage over classical computers. It involves an “oracle” (external quantum subroutine), which must be specified for a given application and whose internal structure is not part of the formal scaling of the quadratic quantum speedup guaranteed by the algorithm. Grover’’s algorithm also requires exponentially many calls to the quantum oracle (approximately 2 n calls where n is the number of qubits) to succeed, raising the question of its implementation on both noisy and error-corrected quantum computers. In this work, we construct a quantum-inspired algorithm executable on a classical computer that performs Grover’s task in a linear number of calls to (simulations of) the oracle—an exponentially smaller number than Grover’s algorithm—and demonstrate this algorithm explicitly for Boolean satisfiability problems. The complexity of our algorithm depends on the cost to simulate the oracle once, which may or may not be exponential, depending on its internal structure. Indeed, Grover’s algorithm does not have an quantum speedup as soon as one is given access to the “source code” of the oracle, which may reveal an internal structure of the problem. Our findings illustrate this point explicitly, as our algorithm exploits the structure of the quantum circuit used to program the quantum computer to speed up the search. There are still problems where Grover’s algorithm would provide an asymptotic speedup if it could be run accurately for large enough sizes. Our quantum-inspired algorithm provides lower bounds, in terms of the quantum-circuit complexity, for the quantum hardware to beat classical approaches for these problems. These estimates, combined with the unfavorable scaling of the success probability of Grover’s algorithm, which in the presence of noise decays as the exponential of the exponential of the number of qubits, makes a practical speedup unrealistic even under extremely optimistic assumptions of the evolution of both hardware quality and availability. Published by the American Physical Society 2024
Abstract In this paper we provide a framework for applying classical search and preprocessing to quantum oracles for use with Grover’s quantum search algorithm in order to lower the quantum circuit-complexity of Grover’s algorithm for single-target search problems. This has the effect (for certain problems) of reducing a portion of the polynomial overhead contributed by the implementation cost of quantum oracles and can be used to provide either strict improvements or advantageous trade-offs in circuit-complexity. Our results indicate that it is possible for quantum oracles for certain single-target preimage search problems to reduce the quantum circuit-size from O 2 n / 2 ⋅ m C O(2n/2⋅mC)O\left(2^{n/2}\cdot mC\right)O(2n/2⋅mC) (where C originates from the cost of implementing the quantum oracle) to O ( 2 n / 2 ⋅ m C ) O(2n/2⋅mC)O(2^{n/2} \cdot m\sqrt{C})O(2n/2⋅mC​) without the use of quantum ram, whilst also slightly reducing the number of required qubits. This framework captures a previous optimisation of Grover’s algorithm using preprocessing [21] applied to cryptanalysis, providing new asymptotic analysis. We additionally provide insights and asymptotic improvements on recent cryptanalysis [16] of SIKE [14] via Grover’s algorithm, demonstrating that the speedup applies to this attack and impacting upon quantum security estimates [16] incorporated into the SIKE specification [14].