An explanation of the Deutsch-Jozsa Algorithm.

The first algorithm to show how quantum computers can perform calculations faster than a
classical computer could.

I have a little issue with how you’ve written your limits on the summation signs at minute 6.34.
We aren’t really summing over y, we’re summing over all combinations of 2^n bit strings right?
So y=0 would correspond to |00...0>. Would it be better to write at the bottom of the sum: y =
{0,1}^n? Or maybe to sum over index i and put a subscript on the y: |y_i> therefore when i=0
|y_0> = |00...0>?

You used different definition of balanced for the first half of your video and the second half. And
FYI your second definition can be solved in (on average) constant time on a classical computer,
which is with high probability faster than quantum computer.

I'm not sure what you mean by two definitions. If you are referring to the fact that in the first
first part I say a constant function outputs all 0's and in the second part I show the balanced
function outputting all 0's, keep in mind that the output of the function and the output of the
simulator are not the same. The difference is that the function outputs the value of a SINGLE
input and the quantum simulator outputs the value of ALL the inputs. As such, I don't see
how a classical computer can solve this problem in constant time.

Oh actually you only said it once that balanced is that there is an even number of 0 and 1 outputs
(the word even is very misleading). For the latter question, a randomized algorithm can find one
such input with half probability and therefore if one attempts C (constant) times, and the
probability that he fails is 2^-C which can be arbitrarily small regardless of n. Of course you can
argue about worst case but in reality it almost never happens.

I just want to argue that this algorithm isn't as practical as you claimed. It's only a breakthrough of
worst case complexity

Ah I see, yes this question is all about solving for the worst case scenario. In the best case a
classical computer can solve it in two steps (i.e the function outputs a 0 and then 1, ensuring
it is balanced), a quantum computer however can solve it in the worse case in just one step.
And yes you are also right that this question has very little practical application. Keep in
mind that this is the first quantum algorithm ever created, and was designed specifically to
show how quantum computers can solve questions faster than classical ones. However,
people have used this question to design other quantum algorithms that do have practical
applications. For example, Grover's Search Algorithm, a very practical quantum algorithm,
was directly inspired by this problem. The hope is that there's many other practical quantum
algorithm's out there to be discovered as well.
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