Quantum Algorithms Database
Quantum Amplitude Estimation
Estimates an unknown probability or expected value quadratically faster than classical Monte Carlo sampling.
Year
2000
Inventor(s)
Brassard, Høyer, Mosca & Tapp
Speedup Type
Quadratic Speedup
Difficulty
★★★★☆
The Problem
Estimating the probability of an event or the expected value of a function, traditionally done via repeated random sampling (Monte Carlo methods).
How It Works
Combines amplitude amplification with phase estimation to extract a probability estimate with quadratically fewer samples than classical Monte Carlo.
Real-World Impact
A leading candidate for near-term financial applications like risk analysis and options pricing, where Monte Carlo methods are already heavily used classically.