Department of Mathematics

We construct an efficient quantum algorithm to compute the quantum Schur-Weyl transform for any value of the quantum parameter $q \in [0,\infty]$. Our algorithm is a $q$-deformation of the Bacon-Chuang-Harrow algorithm, in the sense that it has the same structure and is identically equal when $q=1$. When $q=0$, our algorithm is the unitary realization of the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (or RSK) algorithm, while when $q=\infty$ it is the dual RSK algorithm together with phase signs. Thus, we interpret a well-motivated quantum algorithm as a generalization of a well-known classical algorithm.