The ZPP reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

ZPP

In complexity theory, ZPP (Zero-error Probabilistic Polynomial time) is the set of problems for which a probabilistic Turing machine exists with these properties:

• It always returns the correct YES or NO answer
• The running time is unbounded, but on the average is polynomial

In other words, the algorithm is allowed to flip a truly-random coin while it's running. It always returns the correct answer. (Such an algorithm is called a Las Vegas algorithm.) For a problem of size n, there is some polynomial p(n) such that the average running time will be less than p(n), even though it might occasionally be much longer.

The class ZPP is exactly equal to the intersection of the classes RP and Co-RP.

The definition of ZPP is based on probabilistic Turing machines. Other complexity classes based on them include BPP and RP. The class BQP is based on another machine with randomness: the quantum computer.

Important Complexity classes

P | NP | Co-NP | NP-C | Co-NP-C | NP-hard | UP | #P | #P-C | NC | P-C

PSPACE | PSPACE-C | EXPTIME | EXPSPACE | BQP | BPP | RP | ZPP | PCP | IP

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