Motivated by the novel applications of the mathematical formalism of quantum theory and its generalizations in cognitive science, psychology, social and political sciences, and economics, we extend the notion of the tensor product and entanglement. We also study the relation between conventional entanglement of complex qubits and our generalized entanglement. Our construction can also be used to describe entanglement in the framework of non-Archimedean physics. It is also possible to construct tensor products of non-Archimedean (e.g., p-adic) and complex Hilbert spaces.
Motivated by the novel applications of the mathematical formalism of quantum theory and its generalizations in cognitive science, psychology, social and political sciences, and economics, we extend the notion of the tensor product and entanglement. We also study the relation between conventional entanglement of complex qubits and our generalized entanglement. Our construction can also be used to describe entanglement in the framework of non-Archimedean physics. It is also possible to construct tensor products of non-Archimedean (e.g., p-adic) and complex Hilbert spaces.
Quantum correlations, crucial for the advantage and advancement of quantum science and technology, arise from the impossibility of expressing a quantum state as a tensor product over a given set of parties. In this work, a generalized notion of correlations via arbitrary products is formulated. Remarkably, as a universal property, the connection between such general products and tensor products is established, allowing one to relate generic non-product states to the common notion of entangled states. We construct the set of free operations for general types of products by extending the local-operation-and-classical-communication paradigm, familiar from standard entanglement theory, thereby establishing a resource theory of correlations for general products. A generalization is provided beyond two factors that can be universally related to multipartite entanglement. Applications that highlight the usefulness of the approach are discussed, such as the factorization of fermionic states, the non-local factorization of multi-photon states into single-photon states, and the interesting possibility of understanding prime numbers as a form of single-party entanglement.
We consider the grading structure on the tensor product corresponding to the tensor rank; the relation to the notion of entanglement is discussed. We also study a complex problem of finding the minimal (with respect to the aforementioned grading structure) representation of elements of the tensor product. The general construction is presented over an arbitrary number field. Hence, it can be applied not only to the conventional notion of entanglement over the field of complex numbers, but even for models of non-Archimedean (in particular, p-adic) quantum physics. The problem of tensor reduction is also studied for an arbitrary number field, but only in the two dimensional case.
In the framework of quantum mechanics over a quadratic extension of the ultrametric field of p-adic numbers, we introduce a notion of tensor product of p-adic Hilbert spaces. To this end, following a standard approach, we first consider the algebraic tensor product of p-adic Hilbert spaces. We next define a suitable norm on this linear space. It turns out that, in the p-adic framework, this norm is the analogue of the projective norm associated with the tensor product of real or complex normed spaces. Eventually, by metrically completing the resulting p-adic normed space, and equipping it with a suitable inner product, we obtain the tensor product of p-adic Hilbert spaces. That this is indeed the correct p-adic counterpart of the tensor product of complex Hilbert spaces is also certified by establishing a natural isomorphism between this p-adic Hilbert space and the corresponding Hilbert–Schmidt class. Since the notion of subspace of a p-adic Hilbert space is highly nontrivial, we finally study the tensor product of subspaces, stressing both the analogies and the significant differences with respect to the standard complex case. These findings should provide us with the mathematical foundations necessary to explore quantum entanglement in the p-adic setting, with potential applications in the emerging field of p-adic quantum information theory.
Textbook quantum superposition refers to the feature that certain linear combinations of Hilbert space rays, each representing a valid quantum state, are themselves valid states. This notion is not operational, and it relies on the underlying Hilbert space formalism. Recent proposals for experimental tests of indefinite causal order, as well as tests probing the non-classicality of gravity, pivot on superposition, thereby calling for a theory-independent, operational formalisation of the concept. Here, we define superposition within the framework of Generalised Probabilistic Theories, based on observed statistics in prepare-and-measure experiments. Using this, we formulate three superposition principles to investigate which structural features of quantum theory carry over to other theories. We study conditions under which these principles carry over from subsystems to their compositions; to this end, we show that the quantum tensor product emerges as the largest composition rule for quantum systems respecting all three principles. Furthermore, we show how non-classical features such as entanglement and preparational uncertainty can be viewed as special forms of superposition.
Quantum computing is fundamentally based on the mathematical structure of complex Hilbert spaces, linear operators, tensor products, and unitary transformations. Among these concepts, tensor products provide the formal mechanism for constructing the state space of composite quantum systems, whereas linear and unitary operators describe quantum transformations, measurements, and computational gates. This article examines the mathematical relationship between linear operators and tensor products and analyzes their role in the formation, manipulation, and characterization of quantum entanglement. Particular attention is given to two-qubit systems, separable and entangled states, Schmidt decomposition, controlled operations, and the role of non-factorizable operators in quantum circuits. The analysis demonstrates that tensor products perform a dual function: they provide the mathematical representation of composite systems and enable the construction of local operations acting on individual subsystems. At the same time, genuinely entangling transformations, such as the controlled-NOT operation, cannot in general be represented as a single tensor product of independent local operators. Recent research further demonstrates that tensor-product and operator-Schmidt decompositions can be used to characterize operator entanglement, reduce circuit complexity, and construct efficient representations of quantum processes. The results establish that linear algebra and tensor-product structures are not merely formal tools but constitute the mathematical foundation connecting quantum entanglement with quantum computation.
An algebraic approach to quantum non-separability is applied to the case of two qubits. It is based on the partition of the algebra of observables into independent subalgebras and the tensor product structure of the Hilbert space is not exploited. Even in this simple case, such a general formulation has some advantages. Using algebraic formalism, we can explicitly show the relativity of the notion of entanglement to the observables measured in the system and characterize separable and non-separable pure states. As a universal measure of non-separability of pure states, we propose to take the so-called total correlation. This quantity depends on the state as well as on the algebraic partition. Its numerical value is given by the norm of the corresponding correlation matrix.