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The four unitary operators $I,Z,X,iY$ can be identified with one use when an input qubit is entangled with a reference ancilla qubit. Applying the unknown operation to one half of $|{\varphi }_{+}⟩$ produces the four orthogonal Bell states, which a Bell-basis measurement distinguishes exactly. For operators $V{U}_j{V}^{†}$ in any known orthonormal basis, prepare $(V\otimes I)|{\varphi }_{+}⟩$ and apply $V^{†}$ after the unknown call. This reduces to the same quantum channel discrimination protocol. Direct expansion proves the four output identities; equivalently, their overlaps are $\mathrm{Tr}(U_j^{†}{U}_k)/2={\delta }_{jk}$.

In quantum channel discrimination, prepare a density operator ${\rho }_{HR}$ on the channel input $H$ and an optional quantum ancilla $R$. Under hypothesis $j\in \{1,2\}$ the output isUse a two-outcome quantum measurement $\{Q,I-Q\}$ and decide for $T_1$ on outcome $Q$. The conditional Type I error and Type II error areWith prior probabilities $p$ and $1-p$, symmetric Bayesian discrimination minimizes the average error $p\alpha +(1-p)\beta$ over the input and measurement.

Quantum channel discrimination feeds a common input into one of several candidate quantum channels and measures the output. An entangled quantum ancilla permits inputs ${\rho }_{HR}$ and compares $(T_j\otimes {\mathrm{id}}_R)({\rho }_{HR})$; optimal binary discrimination is governed by the diamond norm of the weighted channel difference.