We give a construction that identifies the collection of pure processes (i.e. those which are deterministic, or without randomness) within a theory containing both pure and mixed processes. Working in the framework of symmetric monoidal categories, we define a pure subcategory. This definition arises elegantly from the categorical notion of a weak factorisation system. Our construction gives the expected result in several examples, both quantum and classical.
We give a construction that identifies the collection of pure processes (i.e. those which are deterministic, or without randomness) within a theory containing both pure and mixed processes. Working in the framework of symmetric monoidal categories, we define a pure subcategory. This definition arises elegantly from the categorical notion of a weak factorisation system. Our construction gives the expected result in several examples, both quantum and classical.
We present a categorical construction for modelling causal structures within a general class of process theories that include the theory of classical probabilistic processes as well as quantum theory. Unlike prior constructions within categorical quantum mechanics, the objects of this theory encode fine-grained causal relationships between subsystems and give a new method for expressing and deriving consequences for a broad class of causal structures. We show that this framework enables one to define families of processes which are consistent with arbitrary acyclic causal orderings. In particular, one can define one-way signalling (a.k.a. semi-causal) processes, non-signalling processes, and quantum n-combs. Furthermore, our framework is general enough to accommodate recently-proposed generalisations of classical and quantum theory where processes only need to have a fixed causal ordering locally, but globally allow indefinite causal ordering. To illustrate this point, we show that certain processes of this kind, such as the quantum switch, the process matrices of Oreshkov, Costa, and Brukner, and a classical three-party example due to Baumeler, Feix, and Wolf are all instances of a certain family of processes we refer to as SOCn in the appropriate category of higher-order causal processes. After defining these families of causal structures within our framework, we give derivations of their operational behaviour using simple, diagrammatic axioms. Comment: Extended version of a LICS 2017 paper with the same title
In a recent paper [12], we discussed the serious inconsistency present within the operational and mathematical definition(s) of the notion of pure state. Continuing this analysis, in this work we attempt to address the role of 'purity' and 'mixtures' within two different categorical approaches to QM, namely, the topos approach originally presented by Chris Isham and Jeremy Butterfield [27, 28, 29] and the more recent logos categorical approach presented by the authors of this article [10, 11, 13]. While the first approach exposes the difficulties to produce a consistent understanding of pure states and mixtures, the latter approach presents a new scheme in which their reference is erased right from the start in favor of an intensive understanding of projection operators and quantum superpositions. This new account of the theory, grounded on an intensive interpretation of the Born rule, allows us not only to avoid the orthodox interpretation of projection operators --either as referring to definite valued properties or measurement outcomes-- but also to consider all matrices (of any rank) on equal footing. It is from this latter standpoint that we conclude that instead of distinguishing between pure and mixed states it would be recommendable --for a proper understanding of the theory of quanta-- to return to the original matrix formulation of quantum mechanics presented by Werner Heisenberg in 1925.
The past decade has seen a remarkable resurgence of the old programme of finding more or less a priori axioms for the mathematical framework of quantum mechanics. The new impetus comes largely from quantum information theory; in contrast to work in the older tradition, which tended to concentrate on structural features of individual quantum systems, the newer work is marked by an emphasis on systems in interaction. Within this newer work, one can discerne two distinct approaches: one is "top-down", and attempts to capture in category-theoretic terms what is distinctive about quantum information processing. The other is "bottom up", attempting to construct non-classical models and theories by hand, as it were, and then characterizing those features that mark out quantum-like behavior. This paper blends these approaches. We present a constructive, bottom-up recipe for building probabilistic theories having strong symmetry properties, using as data any uniform enlargement of the symmetric group S(E) of any set, to a larger group G(E). Subject to some natural conditions, our construction leads to a monoidal category of fully symmetric test spaces, in which the monoidal product is "non-signaling".
We present a categorical construction for modelling causal structures within a general class of process theories that include the theory of classical probabilistic processes as well as quantum theory. Unlike prior constructions within categorical quantum mechanics, the objects of this theory encode fine-grained causal relationships between subsystems and give a new method for expressing and deriving consequences for a broad class of causal structures. We show that this framework enables one to define families of processes which are consistent with arbitrary acyclic causal orderings. In particular, one can define one-way signalling (a.k.a. semi-causal) processes, non-signalling processes, and quantum n-combs. Furthermore, our framework is general enough to accommodate recently-proposed generalisations of classical and quantum theory where processes only need to have a fixed causal ordering locally, but globally allow indefinite causal ordering. To illustrate this point, we show that certain processes of this kind, such as the quantum switch, the process matrices of Oreshkov, Costa, and Brukner, and a classical three-party example due to Baumeler, Feix, and Wolf are all instances of a certain family of processes we refer to as SOCn in the appropriate category of higher-order causal processes. After defining these families of causal structures within our framework, we give derivations of their operational behaviour using simple, diagrammatic axioms.
The past decade has seen a remarkable resurgence of the old programme of finding more or less a priori axioms for the mathematical framework of quantum mechanics. The new impetus comes largely from quantum information theory; in contrast to work in the older tradition, which tended to concentrate on structural features of individual quantum systems, the newer work is marked by an emphasis on systems in interaction. Within this newer work, one can discern two distinct approaches: one is “top-down”, and attempts to capture in category-theoretic terms what is distinctive about quantum information processing. The other is “bottom up”, attempting to construct non-classical models and theories by hand, as it were, and then characterizing those features that mark out quantum-like behavior. This paper blends these approaches. We present a constructive, bottom-up recipe for building probabilistic theories having strong symmetry properties, using as data any uniform enlargement of the symmetric group S(E) of any set, to a larger group G(E). Subject to some natural conditions, our construction leads to a monoidal category of fully symmetric test spaces, in which the monoidal product is “non-signaling”.
We observe that the existence of sequential and parallel composition supermaps in higher order theories of transformations can be formalised using enriched category theory. Encouraged by relevant examples such as unitary supermaps and layers within higher order causal categories (HOCCs), we treat the modelling of higher order physical theories with enriched monoidal categories in analogy with the modelling of physical theories with monoidal categories. We use the enriched monoidal setting to construct a suitable definition of structure preserving map between higher order physical theories via the Grothendieck construction. We then show that the convenient feature of currying in higher order physical theories can be seen as a consequence of combining the primitive assumption of the existence of parallel and sequential composition supermaps with an additional feature of linking. We then use our definition of structure preserving map to show that categories containing infinite towers of enriched monoidal categories with full and faithful structure preserving maps between them inevitably lead to closed monoidal structures. The aim of the proposed definitions is to step towards providing a broad framework for the study and comparison of novel causal structures in quantum theory, and, more broadly, a paradigm of physical theory where static and dynamical features are treated in a unified way.