Comment on Partial Adiabatic Quantum Search

The partial adiabatic search algorithm was introduced in [A. Tulsi, Phys. Rev. A 80, 052328 (2009)] as a modification of the usual adiabatic algorithm for quantum search with the idea that most of the interesting computation only happens over a very short range of the adiabatic path. By focussing on that restricted range, one can potentially gain advantage by reducing the control requirements on the system, enabling a uniform rate of evolution. In this comment, we point out an oversight in the original work [1] that invalidates its proof. However, the argument can be corrected, and the calculations in [1] are then sufficient to show that the scheme still works. Nevertheless, subsequent works [2-6] cannot all be recovered in the same way.