  With reference to a search in a database of size N, Grover states: "What is
the reason that one would expect that a quantum mechanical scheme could
accomplish the search in O(square root of N) steps? It would be insightful to
have a simple two line argument for this without having to describe the details
of the search algorithm". The answer provided in this work is: "because any
quantum algorithm takes the time taken by a classical algorithm that knows in
advance 50% of the information that specifies the solution of the problem".
This empirical fact, unnoticed so far, holds for both quadratic and exponential
speed ups and is theoretically justified in three steps: (i) once the physical
representation is extended to the production of the problem on the part of the
oracle and to the final measurement of the computer register, quantum
computation is reduction on the solution of the problem under a relation
representing problem-solution interdependence, (ii) the speed up is explained
by a simple consideration of time symmetry, it is the gain of information about
the solution due to backdating, to before running the algorithm, a
time-symmetric part of the reduction on the solution; this advanced knowledge
of the solution reduces the size of the solution space to be explored by the
algorithm, (iii) if I is the information acquired by measuring the content of
the computer register at the end of the algorithm, the quantum algorithm takes
the time taken by a classical algorithm that knows in advance 50% of I, which
brings us to the initial statement.

Quantum Physics