Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 324 4 a iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Let the ideal two-qubit output before final quantum measurements beThe PDF places only on the upper wire, followed by the Controlled-Z gate and a quantum measurement in the computational basis on each output wire. Measure vertex of the square in the computational basis, obtaining , then vertex of the surviving path in the fixed equatorial qubit measurement basis at angle , obtaining . Put . The previous part gives .
Commute its Pauli frame through the Controlled-Z gate. Since and commutes with , the actual output isFinally measure vertices in the computational basis, with raw results . A Pauli X gate flips a computational basis result, whereas a Pauli Z gate changes only its phase. Thus the purely classical correction isThis four-cycle graph-state simulation of an entangle-and-measure circuit reproduces the full joint output distribution, not just each marginal. All measurement bases are fixed beforehand, and no physical byproduct correction is necessary. As a check, the ideal Controlled-Z gate is diagonal in the output basis, so for and for , independently of . The measurement procedure gives exactly these probabilities after its classical relabelling.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 324 4 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The logical depth of a measurement pattern counts sequential layers of quantum measurements forced by dependence of measurement bases on earlier outcomes. Depth one means every basis can be fixed before measurements start, allowing all quantum measurements on distinct qubits to be performed in parallel. This does not require depth-one resource-state preparation or constant-depth classical parity processing.
Suppose the circuit contains gates in time order, with each . Prepare an -vertex path graph state from and Controlled-Z gates between neighbours. Its first qubit supplies the specified input . Measure vertex in the fixed equatorial qubit measurement basis at angle for , obtaining . Measure the final vertex in the computational basis, obtaining .
Track the Pauli frame as , starting with . A hypothetical sequential reading of the same quantum measurements gives the step . The supplied commutation rules imply, up to global phase,For , the sign is irrelevant. For , the identity absorbs the possible sign change into the Pauli frame. If for and for , the update isInductively the final unmeasured quantum state would be . The final computational basis outcome is corrected by and is unaffected by . The induction on a sequential interpretation proves the joint statistics; projectors on distinct vertices commute, so the identical fixed-basis pattern can actually be measured simultaneously, including its final vertex.
The first printed commutation formula has an incorrect exact scalar phase: with the printed matrix definition, , rather than the negative-exponent prefactor. For example, at the two versions differ by a factor . They agree up to global phase, so this error does not affect the Pauli frame recurrence or any quantum measurement probability.
Consequently a fixed-basis path-state pattern of logical depth one simulates every such circuit. Only Pauli measurements occur: the angle-zero basis measures , and the angle- basis measures with the printed eigenvector labels. Classical exclusive or processing suffices for all output corrections. These gates are Clifford gates, which explains why angle adaptation can be eliminated. For , simply measure the initial in the computational basis; it is already a depth-one pattern.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 2 15C b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The Hadamard gate conjugates the Pauli X gate into the Pauli Z gate:When the control qubit is , all three circuits act as the identity on the target. When it is , the right-hand circuit acts on the target as . It therefore agrees with the Controlled-Z gate on every computational basis state, provingConjugating both sides by and using immediately gives the reverse identity
Quadratic Boolean phase cancellation 2026-10-14
For a two-variable Boolean quantum oracle, quantum phase kickback produces the phase on . If the quadratic coefficient is known, apply the Controlled-Z gate to the power : its phase cancels the quadratic term. A Walsh-Hadamard transform then maps the remaining phase state to . The constant term is only a global phase, and both linear coefficients are read in one quantum measurement in the computational basis.
Quantum logic gate Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-07
A unitary operation on a fixed number of qubits used as a component of a quantum circuit. Examples include the Hadamard gate and Controlled-Z gate. Measurements are described separately by quantum measurement; a gate is a reversible operation on its full input state.