Gottesman-Knill theorem

proper noun

A result that states that stabilizer circuits (those consisting only of gates from the normalizer of the qubit Pauli group, or Clifford group) can be perfectly simulated in polynomial time on a probabilistic classical computer.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Gottesman-Knill theorem
  1. quantum computingA result that states that stabilizer circuits (those consisting only of gates from the normalizer of the qubit Pauli group, or Clifford group) can be perfectly simulated in polynomial time on a probabilistic classical computer.

Origin

Named after Daniel Gottesman and Emanuel Knill.

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Cite this entry
APA

Gottesman-Knill theorem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gottesman-Knill%20theorem

MLA

“Gottesman-Knill theorem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gottesman-Knill%20theorem. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gottesman-Knill theorem,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gottesman-Knill%20theorem.

Source: Gottesman-Knill theorem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.