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Query a known set of $m$ inputs and store its output table. If no function collision occurs there, each of its $m$ distinct outputs has exactly one partner in the complement, for a two-to-one function. A compute-phase-uncompute construction marks those partners using two function queries and reversible table comparison. Known-subset Grover search then uses $O(\sqrt{(N-m)/m})$ such phase queries. Including table preparation and a final verification query givesChoosing $m\asymp N^{1/3}$ balances both terms and gives $T(m)=O(N^{1/3})$. The Grover rotation angle rounding bound gives success tending to one. This is a query bound; it does not make reversible table lookup free in a gate or physical-memory cost model.

Let $|s⟩=H^{\otimes n}|0^n⟩$, let $U_f$ be the marked-state phase oracle, and replace reflection about $|0^n⟩$ by reflection about a known computational basis vector $|y⟩$. Define $T_y={⨂}_{j=0}^{n-1}{Z}_j^{y_j}$, so $T_y|x⟩=(-1{)}^{x\cdot y}|x⟩$ and $H^{\otimes n}|y⟩=T_y|s⟩$. The resulting Grover iterate obeysbecause the two diagonal operators $T_y,U_f$ commute. Thus the good and bad uniform vectors are replaced by their signed vectors $T_y|g⟩,T_y|b⟩$, with exactly the same Grover rotation angle. Initializing in $H^{\otimes n}|y⟩$ gives $G_y^r|s_y⟩=T_y{G}^r|s⟩$. Computational-basis measurement probabilities are unchanged because $T_y$ only multiplies amplitudes by signs.

For a known finite set $B$, prepare the uniform superposition state $|s_B⟩$ and implement its reflection operator $2|s_B⟩⟨s_B|-I$. If exactly $k$ basis states in $B$ are marked, the same two-dimensional Grover rotation angle argument uses $O(\sqrt{|B|/k})$ phase queries. Preparation and reflection are known operations with no calls to the unknown predicate. Their gate cost must be accounted for separately. The success guarantee requires $k>0$, and choosing the optimal iteration number uses a known $k$.

For the normalized vector defining the orthogonal projection $P=|\varphi ⟩⟨\varphi |$, $P^k=P$ for every $k\ge 1$. Thuswhich proves the projector phase rotation identity in this case:It changes the sign of the component along $\varphi$ and fixes the orthogonal complement, so it is a reflection operator.

For a marked computational basis vector $w$, $U_{P_w}=I-2|w⟩⟨w|$ is the marked-state phase oracle. With $|\psi ⟩=H^{\otimes N}|0^N⟩$, the other reflection isThe Hadamard gates thus implement its change of basis from the known all-zero state. The usual Grover diffusion operator is $D=2|\psi ⟩⟨\psi |-I=-U_{P_{\psi }}$. Consequently a Grover search algorithm iteration isThe minus sign is an irrelevant global phase. These two reflections rotate the search state in the span of the marked vector and the unmarked uniform vector, with the Grover rotation angle controlled by the initial marked amplitude. Iterating them approximately $\pi \sqrt{2^N}/4$ times gives high-probability search. The same pair of projectors appears additively in the continuous-time Hamiltonian, but the product of full reflections and evolution under their sum are distinct dynamics.

Put $L=2^N$ and define $\theta =\arcsin \sqrt{M/L}$. The normalized good and bad vectors have disjoint computational basis supports, so they are orthogonal. Counting the terms in the uniform quantum superposition givesSince $V_0=I-2|0^N⟩⟨0^N|$, the Hadamard transform gives $-H^{\otimes N}{V}_0{H}^{\otimes N}=2|\varphi ⟩⟨\varphi |-I$, the Grover diffusion operator. On the ordered orthonormal basis $(|{\Psi }_g⟩,|{\Psi }_b⟩)$, the two reflection operators have matricesTheir product isThis is a plane rotation through angle $-2\theta$ in the displayed coordinate convention, with the invariant good-bad plane preserved by both operators. In particular its action sends $(\sin a,\cos a)$ to $(\sin (a+2\theta ),\cos (a+2\theta ))$. Induction therefore gives the Grover rotation angle formula

For $N>1$, use the orthonormal basis $(|a⟩,|\omega ⟩)$ from the preceding part. Both reflection operators preserve $\mathcal{V}$, because their reflected vectors belong to it. With $s=\sin \theta$ and $c=\cos \theta$, their restricted matrices areMultiplying in the specified order, including the overall minus sign, givesEquivalently,In particular, $G$ sends $\sin t|a⟩+\cos t|\omega ⟩$ to $\sin (t+2\theta )|a⟩+\cos (t+2\theta )|\omega ⟩$. This proves the Grover rotation angle description with the signs appropriate to these reflection operators.

For $N\ge 2$, induction using the Grover rotation angle givesThe quantum measurement in the computational basis therefore returns $a$ with probability ${\sin }^2((2k+1)\theta )$. Since $0<\theta \le \pi /4$, the first angle interval attaining the required success isThe first successful Grover iterate is consequentlyIndeed, this is the first integer at or above the lower endpoint requirement $k\ge \pi /(4\theta )-1$. The inequality $\lceil t-1\rceil <t$ also implies $(2k_{\min }+1)\theta <\pi /2+\theta$, so this iterate cannot overshoot the first success interval. Every smaller nonnegative integer lies before that interval and fails the threshold. Finally, $\arcsin u>u$ for $0<u<1$, soFor the singleton case $N=1$, measuring the initial state already returns $a$ with certainty, and $k_{\min }=0<\pi /4$. For $N=2$, the requested threshold is only $1/2$, so zero iterations already suffice. These boundary cases agree with the search guarantee.

Write $N=2^n$ and $|s⟩=N^{-1/2}{\sum }_{x=0}^{N-1}|x⟩$. The initial Hadamard gates prepare $|s⟩$ in the search register and $|-⟩$ in the final quantum ancilla. Since the Pauli X gate satisfies $X|-⟩=-|-⟩$, the Boolean quantum oracle acts by quantum phase kickback:For a single marked entry this is the marked-state phase oracle $O_a=I-2|a⟩⟨a|$ on the search register. The ancilla stays separate and unchanged throughout.

The Grover diffusion operator is $V=2|s⟩⟨s|-I$, because $H^{\otimes n}|0^n⟩=|s⟩$. The PDF circuit places one diffusion after each oracle call, so the state before measurement isIn the supplied amplitude amplification theorem, take $|\psi ⟩=|s⟩$ and $|\varphi ⟩=|a⟩$. Their overlap has modulus $1/\sqrt{N}$, so the Grover rotation angle is $\theta =\arcsin (N^{-1/2})$. A quantum measurement in the computational basis therefore givesThe inverse sine here is applied to the overlap of the two different states. The converted TeX's self-overlap in the angle definition is a transcription error; the original PDF has $|⟨\varphi |\psi ⟩|$.

A good item must exist, so assume $1\le k<N$; if $k=0$, the requested search is impossible, while $k=N$ makes every output good. Put $p=k/N$ and $\theta =\arcsin \sqrt{p}$. Normalize the good and bad components of the uniform superposition state asThe Boolean phase oracle negates $|g⟩$ and fixes $|b⟩$. The Grover diffusion operator is $-I_{{\psi }_0}=2|{\psi }_0⟩⟨{\psi }_0|-I$. Its implementation is independent of $f$: conjugate the reflection about $|0^n⟩$ by Hadamard gates. One Grover search algorithm iteration isHence, by the Grover rotation angle formula,Choose the nonnegative integer $j$ nearest to $\pi /(4\theta )-1/2$. Its final angle differs from $\pi /2$ by at most $\theta$, so a computational-basis measurement succeeds with probability at least ${\cos }^2\theta =1-p$. The allowed small-density regime includes $p\le 1/3$, giving the requested $2/3$ bound. Each iteration uses one Boolean phase oracle query, and $j=O(1/\sqrt{p})=O(\sqrt{N/k})$.

For $k=N/4$, $\theta =\pi /6$ and one iteration reaches $3\theta =\pi /2$ exactly. Thus one query gives a good outcome with certainty:This is exact Grover search on four entries applied to a marked fraction of one quarter, not only to a four-element register.

Interpret a function collision as two distinct inputs with equal outputs. Without distinctness the request is vacuous, since an input paired with itself always qualifies. Set $m=\lceil N^{1/3}\rceil$ (handling small $N$ by direct queries), choose a known set $A$ of size $m$, and query all its inputs. Store a classical table of their outputs and corresponding inputs. If this table contains a function collision, return it immediately.

Otherwise the table contains $m$ distinct outputs. Because $g$ is exactly two-to-one, each $a\in A$ has exactly one partner in $B$, the known complement of $A$. None lies in $A$, and different table outputs have different partners. Thus exactly $m$ inputs in $B$, of size $L=N-m$, satisfy the known-table membership predicateBuild a marked-state phase oracle for this predicate by a compute-phase-uncompute construction: use $U_g$ on a clean answer quantum register, reversibly compare its output against the classical table, apply the conditional minus sign, undo the comparison, and apply $U_g$ again. Since the answer operation is bitwise exclusive or, $U_g^{-1}=U_g$. All workspace returns to zero, and each phase query costs two calls to $U_g$.

Perform known-subset Grover search in the span of the computational basis states labelled by $B$, starting in their uniform superposition state. Reflection about this known state uses no $U_g$ queries; choosing $A$ as an initial interval makes $B$ a known interval that can also be encoded by its own $L$ labels. Its marked fraction is $m/L$, so the previous Grover rotation angle analysis uses $O(\sqrt{L/m})$ phase queries. On measuring $b$, one further $U_g$ query checks the output and retrieves its partner $a$ from the table. The inputs are distinct because the two sets are disjoint.

Consequently the quantum query complexity isFor large $N$, rounding the optimal Grover search algorithm iteration count gives success at least $1-m/(N-m)>1/2$. An internal table function collision already gives certain success. The balance $m\asymp \sqrt{N/m}$ explains the cube-root choice. This is the Brassard–Høyer–Tapp collision algorithm: its table uses $O(m\log N)$ classical bits. The bound counts calls to $U_g$, as requested; it does not charge table lookup and its reversible implementation as constant-time gates, or claim an overall polynomial time in $\log N$.

Because $H_n|0^n⟩=|{\psi }_0⟩$,which is the reflection operator in the line spanned by $|{\psi }_0⟩$. Meanwhile $I_G$ changes the sign of every good basis state and fixes every bad basis state; onit is the reflection in the $|{\psi }_B⟩$ axis. Both reflections preserve $\mathcal{P}$, so their product $Q$ does too.

WriteIn Euclidean geometry, the composition of reflections in two lines through the origin has a rotation matrix through twice the oriented angle between the lines. Hence $Q$ rotates the good-bad plane by $2\theta$ from $|{\psi }_B⟩$ toward $|{\psi }_G⟩$. In particular, the Grover rotation angle formula is

Use the construction in part (c) for the marked-state phase reflection in each Grover search algorithm iteration. Every such reflection costs one query to $U_f$; the identity-oracle circuit, Hadamard gates, and $I_0$ are independent of $f$.

Starting from $|s⟩$, after $r$ iterations the success probability isby the Grover rotation angle. Choose an integerThen $(2r+1)\theta$ differs from $\pi /2$ by at most $\theta$, soFor every sufficiently large $N$ this is greater than $1/2$, whileThus measuring the search register determines the faulty input with the required constant success probability using $O(\sqrt{N})$ oracle queries.