Understanding periodic quantum algorithms
In Chapter 13, Understanding Quantum Algorithms, we covered algorithms that use phase kickback to solve various problems.
In this section, we will move away from phase kickback and into periodic quantum algorithms. Periodic functions are those where values are repeated over time. Your watch, for example, is periodic in that each minute has 60 seconds, each hour has 60 minutes, and each day has 24 hours.
If you have your watch set up with the hours from 1 to 12, then your watch has a period of 2 per day, in that your watch will repeat the numbers 1 to 12 twice in one day. Of course, this is separate from the AM and PM indicators, whether it is day or evening hours. Periodic functions occur all around us in many ways, so understanding how to relate these to a quantum circuit is key to understanding many of the quantum algorithms, including the most famous one of all, Shor's algorithm.
But for now, we will learn about Simon&apos...
