Quantum Database Search can do without Sorting

Abstract

Sorting is a fundamental computational process, which facilitates subsequent searching of a database. It can be thought of as factorisation of the search process. The location of a desired item in a sorted database can be found by classical queries that inspect one letter of the label at a time. For an unsorted database, no such classical quick search algorithm is available. If the database permits quantum queries, however, then mere digitisation is sufficient for efficient search. Sorting becomes redundant with the quantum superposition of states. A quantum algorithm is written down which locates the desired item in an unsorted database a factor of two faster than the best classical algorithm can in a sorted database. This algorithm has close resemblance to the assembly process in DNA replication.