In quantum computing, quantum finite automata or QFA are a quantum analog of probabilistic automata. They are related to quantum computers in a similar fashion as finite automata are related to Turing machines. Several types of automata may be defined, including measure-once and measure-many automata. Quantum finite automata can also be understood as the quantization of subshifts of finite type, or as a quantization of Markov chains. QFA's are, in turn, special cases of geometric finite automata or topological finite automata.
The automata work by accepting a finite-length string of letters from a finite alphabet, and assigning to each such string a probability indicating the probability of the automaton being in an accept state; that is, indicating whether the automaton accepted or rejected the string.
Read more about Quantum Finite Automata: Measure-once Automata, Example, Measure-many Automata, Geometric Generalizations
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