Likelihood theory in a quantum world: Tests with quantum coins and computers

Abstract

By repeated trials, one can determine the fairness of a classical coin with a confidence which grows with the number of trials. A quantum coin can be in a superposition of heads and tails and its state is most generally a density matrix. Given a string of qubits representing a series of trials, one can measure them individually and determine the state with a certain confidence. We show that there is an improved strategy which measures the qubits after entangling them, which leads to a greater confidence. This strategy is demonstrated on the simulation facility of IBM quantum computers.