Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

On Exact Quantum Query Complexity

Ashley Montanaro, Richard Jozsa, Graeme Mitchison, ,, ,

Published Jan 1, 2011• 25 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

We present several families of total boolean functions which have exact quantum query com-plexity which is a constant multiple (between 1/2 and 2/3) of their classical query complexity, and show that optimal quantum algorithms for these functions cannot be obtained by simply computing parities of pairs of bits. We also characterise the model of nonadaptive exact quantum query complexity in terms of coding theory and completely characterise the query complexity of symmetric boolean functions in this context. These results were originally inspired by nu-merically solving the semidefinite programs characterising quantum query complexity for small problem sizes. We include numerical results giving the optimal success probabilities achievable by quantum algorithms computing all boolean functions on up to 4 bits, and all symmetric boolean functions on up to 6 bits. 1

Related papers

Exact Quantum 1-Query Algorithms and Complexity

Daowen Qiu, Guoliang Xu

Deutsch–Jozsa problem (D–J) has exact quantum 1-query complexity (“exact” means no error), but requires super-exponential queries for the optimal classical deterministic decision trees. D–J problem is equivalent to a symmetric partial Boolean function, and in fact, all symmetric partial Boolean functions having exact quantum 1-query complexity have been found out and these functions can be computed by D–J algorithm. A special case is that all symmetric Boolean functions with exact quantum 1-query complexity follow directly and these functions are also all total Boolean functions with exact quantum 1-query complexity obviously. Then there are pending problems concerning partial Boolean functions having exact quantum 1-query complexity and new results have been found, but some problems are still open. In this paper, we review these results regarding exact quantum 1-query complexity and in particular, we also obtain a new result that a partial Boolean function with exact quantum 1-query complexity is constructed and it cannot be computed by D–J algorithm. Further problems are pointed out for future study.

SPIN•Aug 12, 2021•3 citations

Exact Quantum Query Algorithms Outperforming Parity -- Beyond The Symmetric functions

Chandra Sekhar Mukherjee, Subhamoy Maitra

In Exact Quantum Query model, almost all of the Boolean functions for which non-trivial query algorithms exist are symmetric in nature. The most well known techniques in this domain exploit parity decision trees, in which the parity of two bits can be obtained by a single query. Thus, exact quantum query algorithms outperforming parity decision trees are rare. In this paper we first obtain optimal exact quantum query algorithms ($Q_{algo}(f)$) for a direct sum based class of $Ω\left( 2^{\frac{\sqrt{n}}{2}} \right)$ non-symmetric functions. We construct these algorithms by analyzing the algebraic normal form together with a novel untangling strategy. Next we obtain the generalized parity decision tree complexity ($D_{\oplus}(f)$) analysing the Walsh Spectrum. Finally, we show that query complexity of $Q_{algo}$ is $\lceil \frac{3n}{4} \rceil$ whereas $D_{\oplus}(f)$ varies between $n-1$ and $\lceil \frac{3n}{4} \rceil+1$ for different classes, underlining linear separation between the two measures in many cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first family of algorithms beyond generalized parity (and thus parity) for a large class of non-symmetric functions. We also implement these techniques for a larger (doubly exponential in $\frac{n}{4}$) class of Maiorana-McFarland type functions, but could only obtain partial results using similar algorithmic techniques.

arXiv:2008.06317•Aug 14, 2020•0 citations

Characterization of exact one-query quantum algorithms (ii): for partial functions

Zekun Ye, Lvzhou Li

The query model (or black-box model) has attracted much attention from the communities of both classical and quantum computing. Usually, quantum advantages are revealed by presenting a quantum algorithm that has a better query complexity than its classical counterpart. For example, the well-known quantum algorithms including Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, Simon algorithm and Grover algorithm all show a considerable advantage of quantum computing from the viewpoint of query complexity. Recently we have considered in (Phys. Rev. A. {\bf 101}, 02232 (2020)) the problem: what functions can be computed by an exact one-query quantum algorithm? This problem has been addressed for total Boolean functions but still open for partial Boolean functions. Thus, in this paper we continue to characterize the computational power of exact one-query quantum algorithms for partial Boolean functions by giving several necessary and sufficient conditions. By these conditions, we construct some new functions that can be computed exactly by one-query quantum algorithms but have essential difference from the already known ones. Note that before our work, the known functions that can be computed by exact one-query quantum algorithms are all symmetric functions, whereas the ones constructed in this papers are generally asymmetric.

arXiv:2008.11998•Aug 27, 2020•1 citation

Exact quantum algorithms have advantage for almost all Boolean functions

Andris Ambainis, Jozef Gruska, Shenggen Zheng

It has been proved that almost all n-bit Boolean functions have exact classical query complexity n. However, the situation seemed to be very different when we deal with exact quantum query complexity. In this paper, we prove that almost all n-bit Boolean functions can be computed by an exact quantum algorithm with less than n queries. More exactly, we prove that ANDn is the only n-bit Boolean function, up to isomorphism, that requires n queries.

arXiv:1404.1684•Quantum Information and Computation•Apr 1, 2015•18 citations

Partial Boolean Functions With Exact Quantum Query Complexity One

Guoliang Xu, Daowen Qiu

We provide two sufficient and necessary conditions to characterize any n-bit partial Boolean function with exact quantum query complexity 1. Using the first characterization, we present all n-bit partial Boolean functions that depend on n bits and can be computed exactly by a 1-query quantum algorithm. Due to the second characterization, we construct a function F that maps any n-bit partial Boolean function to some integer, and if an n-bit partial Boolean function f depends on k bits and can be computed exactly by a 1-query quantum algorithm, then F(f) is non-positive. In addition, we show that the number of all n-bit partial Boolean functions that depend on k bits and can be computed exactly by a 1-query quantum algorithm is not bigger than an upper bound depending on n and k. Most importantly, the upper bound is far less than the number of all n-bit partial Boolean functions for all efficiently big n.

arXiv:2007.10924•Entropy•Feb 3, 2021•6 citations

Superlinear advantage for exact quantum algorithms

Andris Ambainis

A quantum algorithm is exact if, on any input data, it outputs the correct answer with certainty (probability 1). A key question is: how big is the advantage of exact quantum algorithms over their classical counterparts: deterministic algorithms. For total Boolean functions in the query model, the biggest known gap was just a factor of 2: PARITY of N input bits requires N queries classically but can be computed with N/2 queries by an exact quantum algorithm. We present the first example of a Boolean function f(x1, ..., xN) for which exact quantum algorithms have superlinear advantage over deterministic algorithms. Any deterministic algorithm that computes our function must use N queries but an exact quantum algorithm can compute it with O(N0.8675...) queries. A modification of our function gives a similar result for communication complexity: there is a function f which can be computed by an exact quantum protocol that communicates O(N^{0.8675...}) quantum bits but requires Omega(N) bits of communication for classical protocols.

ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC)•May 28, 2013•28 citations
We present several families of total boolean functions which have exact quantum query com-plexity which is a constant multiple (between 1/2 and 2/3) of their classical query complexity, and show that optimal quantum algorithms for these functions cannot be obtained by simply computing parities of pairs of bits. We also characterise the model of nonadaptive exact quantum query complexity in terms of coding theory and completely characterise the query complexity of symmetric boolean functions in this context. These results were originally inspired by nu-merically solving the semidefinite programs characterising quantum query complexity for small problem sizes. We include numerical results giving the optimal success probabilities achievable by quantum algorithms computing all boolean functions on up to 4 bits, and all symmetric boolean functions on up to 6 bits. 1
Deutsch–Jozsa problem (D–J) has exact quantum 1-query complexity (“exact” means no error), but requires super-exponential queries for the optimal classical deterministic decision trees. D–J problem is equivalent to a symmetric partial Boolean function, and in fact, all symmetric partial Boolean functions having exact quantum 1-query complexity have been found out and these functions can be computed by D–J algorithm. A special case is that all symmetric Boolean functions with exact quantum 1-query complexity follow directly and these functions are also all total Boolean functions with exact quantum 1-query complexity obviously. Then there are pending problems concerning partial Boolean functions having exact quantum 1-query complexity and new results have been found, but some problems are still open. In this paper, we review these results regarding exact quantum 1-query complexity and in particular, we also obtain a new result that a partial Boolean function with exact quantum 1-query complexity is constructed and it cannot be computed by D–J algorithm. Further problems are pointed out for future study.
In Exact Quantum Query model, almost all of the Boolean functions for which non-trivial query algorithms exist are symmetric in nature. The most well known techniques in this domain exploit parity decision trees, in which the parity of two bits can be obtained by a single query. Thus, exact quantum query algorithms outperforming parity decision trees are rare. In this paper we first obtain optimal exact quantum query algorithms (Qalgo(f)Q_{algo}(f)Qalgo​(f)) for a direct sum based class of Ω(2n2)Ω\left( 2^{\frac{\sqrt{n}}{2}} \right)Ω(22n​​) non-symmetric functions. We construct these algorithms by analyzing the algebraic normal form together with a novel untangling strategy. Next we obtain the generalized parity decision tree complexity (D⊕(f)D_{\oplus}(f)D⊕​(f)) analysing the Walsh Spectrum. Finally, we show that query complexity of QalgoQ_{algo}Qalgo​ is ⌈3n4⌉\lceil \frac{3n}{4} \rceil⌈43n​⌉ whereas D⊕(f)D_{\oplus}(f)D⊕​(f) varies between n−1n-1n−1 and ⌈3n4⌉+1\lceil \frac{3n}{4} \rceil+1⌈43n​⌉+1 for different classes, underlining linear separation between the two measures in many cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first family of algorithms beyond generalized parity (and thus parity) for a large class of non-symmetric functions. We also implement these techniques for a larger (doubly exponential in n4\frac{n}{4}4n​) class of Maiorana-McFarland type functions, but could only obtain partial results using similar algorithmic techniques.
The query model (or black-box model) has attracted much attention from the communities of both classical and quantum computing. Usually, quantum advantages are revealed by presenting a quantum algorithm that has a better query complexity than its classical counterpart. For example, the well-known quantum algorithms including Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm, Simon algorithm and Grover algorithm all show a considerable advantage of quantum computing from the viewpoint of query complexity. Recently we have considered in (Phys. Rev. A. {\bf 101}, 02232 (2020)) the problem: what functions can be computed by an exact one-query quantum algorithm? This problem has been addressed for total Boolean functions but still open for partial Boolean functions. Thus, in this paper we continue to characterize the computational power of exact one-query quantum algorithms for partial Boolean functions by giving several necessary and sufficient conditions. By these conditions, we construct some new functions that can be computed exactly by one-query quantum algorithms but have essential difference from the already known ones. Note that before our work, the known functions that can be computed by exact one-query quantum algorithms are all symmetric functions, whereas the ones constructed in this papers are generally asymmetric.
We provide two sufficient and necessary conditions to characterize any n-bit partial Boolean function with exact quantum query complexity 1. Using the first characterization, we present all n-bit partial Boolean functions that depend on n bits and can be computed exactly by a 1-query quantum algorithm. Due to the second characterization, we construct a function F that maps any n-bit partial Boolean function to some integer, and if an n-bit partial Boolean function f depends on k bits and can be computed exactly by a 1-query quantum algorithm, then F(f) is non-positive. In addition, we show that the number of all n-bit partial Boolean functions that depend on k bits and can be computed exactly by a 1-query quantum algorithm is not bigger than an upper bound depending on n and k. Most importantly, the upper bound is far less than the number of all n-bit partial Boolean functions for all efficiently big n.
A quantum algorithm is exact if, on any input data, it outputs the correct answer with certainty (probability 1). A key question is: how big is the advantage of exact quantum algorithms over their classical counterparts: deterministic algorithms. For total Boolean functions in the query model, the biggest known gap was just a factor of 2: PARITY of N input bits requires N queries classically but can be computed with N/2 queries by an exact quantum algorithm. We present the first example of a Boolean function f(x1, ..., xN) for which exact quantum algorithms have superlinear advantage over deterministic algorithms. Any deterministic algorithm that computes our function must use N queries but an exact quantum algorithm can compute it with O(N0.8675...) queries. A modification of our function gives a similar result for communication complexity: there is a function f which can be computed by an exact quantum protocol that communicates O(N^{0.8675...}) quantum bits but requires Omega(N) bits of communication for classical protocols.