  The quantum search algorithm is a technique for searching N possibilities in
only sqrt(N) steps. Although the algorithm itself is widely known, not so well
known is the series of steps that first led to it, these are quite different
from any of the generally known forms of the algorithm. This paper describes
these steps, which start by discretizing Schr\"odinger's equation. This paper
also provides a self-contained introduction to the quantum search algorithm
from a new perspective.
