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

IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory (ISIT)

An information-theoretic analysis of Grover's algorithm

Erdal Arıkan

Published Jan 1, 2003• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This paper presents an information-theoretic analysis of Grover's algorithm and give a tight lower bound on the complexity of search algorithms using Grover's oracle. This paper also proposes the square-root speed-up performance gain of a quantum search algorithm and the significance of tight bounds based on Grover's oracle algorithm to identify target element.

DOI
10.1109/isit.2003.1228418

Related papers

An information-theoretic analysis of Grover's algorithm

Erdal Arıkan

Grover discovered a quantum algorithm for identifying a target element in an unstructured search universe of N items in approximately square-root of N queries to a quantum oracle, thus achieving a square-root speed-up over classical algorithms. We present an information-theoretic analysis of Grover's algorithm and show that the square-root speed-up is the best attainable result using Grover's oracle.

arXiv:quant-ph/0210068•Oct 10, 2002•1 citation

Tight Bounds on Quantum Searching

Michel Boyer, Gilles Brassard A, Peter Høyer +1 more

We provide a tight analysis of Grover's algorithm for quantum database searching. We give a simple closed-form formula for the probability of success after any given number of iterations of the algorithm. This allows us to determine the number of iterations necessary to achieve almost certainty of finding the answer. Furthermore, we analyse the behaviour of the algorithm when the element to be found appears more than once in the table and we provide a new algorithm to find such an element even when the number of solutions is not known ahead of time. Finally, we provide a lower bound on the efficiency of any possible quantum database searching algorithm and we show that Grover's algorithm comes within 2.62% of being optimal.

arXiv:quant-ph/9605034•Fortschritte der Physik•Jun 1, 1998•756 citations

Exact quantum lower bound for Grover's problem

Catalin Dohotaru, Peter Høyer

One of the most important quantum algorithms ever discovered is Grover's algorithm for searching an unordered set. We give a new lower bound in the query model which proves that Grover's algorithm is exactly optimal. Similar to existing methods for proving lower bounds, we bound the amount of information we can gain from a single oracle query, but we bound this information in terms of angles. This allows our proof to be simple, self-contained, based on only elementary mathematics, capturing our intuition, while obtaining at the same time an exact bound.

Quantum Information and Computation•May 1, 2009•7 citations

Tight Bounds on Quantum Searching

Michel Boyer, Gilles Brassard A, Peter Høyer +1 more

We provide a tight analysis of Grover's algorithm for quantum database searching. We give a simple closed-form formula for the probability of success after any given number of iterations of the algorithm. This allows us to determine the number of iterations necessary to achieve almost certainty of finding the answer. Furthermore, we analyse the behaviour of the algorithm when the element to be found appears more than once in the table and we provide a new algorithm to find such an element even when the number of solutions is not known ahead of time. Finally, we provide a lower bound on the efficiency of any possible quantum database searching algorithm and we show that Grover's algorithm comes within 2.62% of being optimal. Keywords: Quantum computation. Searching. Lower bound. This research was presented at the Fourth Workshop on Physics and Computation, Boston, 23 November 1996. y D'epartement IRO, Universit'e de Montr'eal, C.P. 6128, succursale centre-ville, Montr'eal (Qu'ebec...

•Jan 1, 1996•823 citations

Exact quantum lower bound for Grover's problem

Catalin Dohotaru, Peter Høyer

One of the most important quantum algorithms ever discovered is Grover's algorithm for searching an unordered set. We give a new lower bound in the query model which proves that Grover's algorithm is exactly optimal. Similar to existing methods for proving lower bounds, we bound the amount of information we can gain from a single oracle query, but we bound this information in terms of angles. This allows our proof to be simple, self-contained, based on only elementary mathematics, capturing our intuition, while obtaining at the same time an exact bound.

arXiv:0810.3647•Quantum Information and Computation•May 1, 2009•4 citations

Quantum Search using Grover’s Algorithm: Principles, Performance, and Applications

Anggit Gusti Nugraheni, Heri Mahyuzar, Sri Hastuti

Quantum search is one of the most important algorithmic developments in quantum computing because it demonstrates how quantum principles can improve the efficiency of solving unstructured search problems. Grover’s algorithm provides a quadratic speed-up over classical linear search by reducing query complexity from O(N) to O(√N), where N represents the size of the search space. This review examines the principles, performance, and applications of Grover’s algorithm, with emphasis on its theoretical foundation and practical relevance. The discussion covers the roles of superposition, quantum interference, oracle operations, diffusion operators, and amplitude amplification in increasing the probability of measuring a desired solution. The manuscript also reviews the computational performance of quantum search in comparison with classical search methods and considers its relevance to database searching, combinatorial optimisation, cryptography, machine learning, bioinformatics, quantum chemistry, and materials science. The review highlights that Grover’s algorithm is not limited to database retrieval, as many computationally intensive problems can be reformulated as search or optimisation tasks. However, practical implementation remains constrained by current quantum hardware limitations, including decoherence, quantum noise, limited qubit availability, circuit depth, and the difficulty of designing efficient oracles. Despite these challenges, continuing progress in quantum hardware, error correction, cloud-based quantum platforms, and hybrid quantum-classical architectures suggests that quantum search will remain an important area of research. Overall, Grover’s algorithm represents a foundational quantum algorithm with significant theoretical value and potential long-term application in computational domains involving large and unstructured search spaces.

Asian journal of mathematics and computer research•Jun 23, 2026•0 citations
This paper presents an information-theoretic analysis of Grover's algorithm and give a tight lower bound on the complexity of search algorithms using Grover's oracle. This paper also proposes the square-root speed-up performance gain of a quantum search algorithm and the significance of tight bounds based on Grover's oracle algorithm to identify target element.
We provide a tight analysis of Grover's algorithm for quantum database searching. We give a simple closed-form formula for the probability of success after any given number of iterations of the algorithm. This allows us to determine the number of iterations necessary to achieve almost certainty of finding the answer. Furthermore, we analyse the behaviour of the algorithm when the element to be found appears more than once in the table and we provide a new algorithm to find such an element even when the number of solutions is not known ahead of time. Finally, we provide a lower bound on the efficiency of any possible quantum database searching algorithm and we show that Grover's algorithm comes within 2.62% of being optimal.
One of the most important quantum algorithms ever discovered is Grover's algorithm for searching an unordered set. We give a new lower bound in the query model which proves that Grover's algorithm is exactly optimal. Similar to existing methods for proving lower bounds, we bound the amount of information we can gain from a single oracle query, but we bound this information in terms of angles. This allows our proof to be simple, self-contained, based on only elementary mathematics, capturing our intuition, while obtaining at the same time an exact bound.
We provide a tight analysis of Grover's algorithm for quantum database searching. We give a simple closed-form formula for the probability of success after any given number of iterations of the algorithm. This allows us to determine the number of iterations necessary to achieve almost certainty of finding the answer. Furthermore, we analyse the behaviour of the algorithm when the element to be found appears more than once in the table and we provide a new algorithm to find such an element even when the number of solutions is not known ahead of time. Finally, we provide a lower bound on the efficiency of any possible quantum database searching algorithm and we show that Grover's algorithm comes within 2.62% of being optimal. Keywords: Quantum computation. Searching. Lower bound. This research was presented at the Fourth Workshop on Physics and Computation, Boston, 23 November 1996. y D'epartement IRO, Universit'e de Montr'eal, C.P. 6128, succursale centre-ville, Montr'eal (Qu'ebec...
One of the most important quantum algorithms ever discovered is Grover's algorithm for searching an unordered set. We give a new lower bound in the query model which proves that Grover's algorithm is exactly optimal. Similar to existing methods for proving lower bounds, we bound the amount of information we can gain from a single oracle query, but we bound this information in terms of angles. This allows our proof to be simple, self-contained, based on only elementary mathematics, capturing our intuition, while obtaining at the same time an exact bound.
Quantum search is one of the most important algorithmic developments in quantum computing because it demonstrates how quantum principles can improve the efficiency of solving unstructured search problems. Grover’s algorithm provides a quadratic speed-up over classical linear search by reducing query complexity from O(N) to O(√N), where N represents the size of the search space. This review examines the principles, performance, and applications of Grover’s algorithm, with emphasis on its theoretical foundation and practical relevance. The discussion covers the roles of superposition, quantum interference, oracle operations, diffusion operators, and amplitude amplification in increasing the probability of measuring a desired solution. The manuscript also reviews the computational performance of quantum search in comparison with classical search methods and considers its relevance to database searching, combinatorial optimisation, cryptography, machine learning, bioinformatics, quantum chemistry, and materials science. The review highlights that Grover’s algorithm is not limited to database retrieval, as many computationally intensive problems can be reformulated as search or optimisation tasks. However, practical implementation remains constrained by current quantum hardware limitations, including decoherence, quantum noise, limited qubit availability, circuit depth, and the difficulty of designing efficient oracles. Despite these challenges, continuing progress in quantum hardware, error correction, cloud-based quantum platforms, and hybrid quantum-classical architectures suggests that quantum search will remain an important area of research. Overall, Grover’s algorithm represents a foundational quantum algorithm with significant theoretical value and potential long-term application in computational domains involving large and unstructured search spaces.