We introduce the concepts of Grover operators and Grover kernels to systema
tically analyze Grover's searching algorithms. Then we investigate a one-pa
rameter family of quantum searching algorithms of Grover type and we show t
hat the standard Grover algorithm is a distinguished member of this family.
We show that all the algorithms of this class solve the searching problem
with an efficiency of order O(rootN), with a coefficient which is class-dep
endent. The analysis of this dependence is a test of the stability and robu
stness of the algorithms. We show the stability of this constructions under
perturbations of the initial conditions and extend them to a very general
class of Grover operators.