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arXiv:2003.10245 · Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science

Dichotomy between Deterministic and Probabilistic Models in Countably Additive Effectus Theory

Kenta Cho, Bas Westerbaan, John van de Wetering

Published Sep 6, 2021• 4 citations

Abstract

Effectus theory is a relatively new approach to categorical logic that can be seen as an abstract form of generalized probabilistic theories (GPTs). While the scalars of a GPT are always the real unit interval [0,1], in an effectus they can form any effect monoid. Hence, there are quite exotic effectuses resulting from more pathological effect monoids. In this paper we introduce sigma-effectuses, where certain countable sums of morphisms are defined. We study in particular sigma-effectuses where unnormalized states can be normalized. We show that a non-trivial sigma-effectus with normalization has as scalars either the two-element effect monoid 0,1 or the real unit interval [0,1]. When states and/or predicates separate the morphisms we find that in the 0,1 case the category must embed into the category of sets and partial functions (and hence the category of Boolean algebras), showing that it implements a deterministic model, while in the [0,1] case we find it embeds into the category of Banach order-unit spaces and of Banach pre-base-norm spaces (satisfying additional properties), recovering the structure present in GPTs. Hence, from abstract categorical and operational considerations we find a dichotomy between deterministic and convex probabilistic models of physical theories.

DOI: 10.4204/eptcs.340.5

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Effectus theory is a relatively new approach to categorical logic that can be seen as an abstract form of generalized probabilistic theories (GPTs). While the scalars of a GPT are always the real unit interval [0,1], in an effectus they can form any effect monoid. Hence, there are quite exotic effectuses resulting from more pathological effect monoids. In this paper we introduce sigma-effectuses, where certain countable sums of morphisms are defined. We study in particular sigma-effectuses where unnormalized states can be normalized. We show that a non-trivial sigma-effectus with normalization has as scalars either the two-element effect monoid 0,1 or the real unit interval [0,1]. When states and/or predicates separate the morphisms we find that in the 0,1 case the category must embed into the category of sets and partial functions (and hence the category of Boolean algebras), showing that it implements a deterministic model, while in the [0,1] case we find it embeds into the category of Banach order-unit spaces and of Banach pre-base-norm spaces (satisfying additional properties), recovering the structure present in GPTs. Hence, from abstract categorical and operational considerations we find a dichotomy between deterministic and convex probabilistic models of physical theories.

From every pair of adjoint functors it is possible to produce a (possibly trivial) equivalence of categories by restricting to the subcategories where the unit and counit are isomorphisms. If we do this for the adjunction between effect algebras and abstract convex sets, we get the surprising result that the equivalent subcategories consist of reflexive order-unit spaces and reflexive base-norm spaces, respectively. These are the convex sets that can occur as state spaces in generalized probabilistic theories satisfying both the no-restriction hypothesis and its dual. The linearity of the morphisms is automatic. If we add a compact topology to either the states or the effects, we can obtain a duality for all Banach order-unit spaces or all Banach base-norm spaces, but not both at the same time.

We exhibit a functor from the category OUS of order unit spaces and positive, unit-preserving mappings into the category $\Prob$ of probabilistic models (test spaces with designated state spaces) and morphisms thereof. Restricted to any subcategory of OUS monoidal with respect to a positive, normalized, bilinear composition rule, our functor is also monoidal. This shows that the convex-operational approach to physical theories can be subsumed by the test-space approach, without resort to ``generalized test spaces''. A second construction, equipping a probabilistic model with tests representing ``weighted coins'', also sheds light on the nature of unsharp observables.

An often used model for quantum theory is to associate to every physical system a C ∗ -algebra. From a physical point of view it is unclear why operator algebras would form a good description of nature. In this paper, we find a set of physically meaningful assumptions such that any physical theory satisfying these assumptions must embed into the category of finite-dimensional C ∗ -algebras. These assumptions were originally introduced in the setting of effectus theory, a categorical logical framework generalizing classical and quantum logic. As these assumptions have a physical interpretation, this motivates the usage of operator algebras as a model for quantum theory.In contrast to other reconstructions of quantum theory, we do not start with the framework of generalized probabilistic theories and instead use effect theories where no convex structure and no tensor product needs to be present. The lack of this structure in effectus theory has led to a different notion of pure maps. A map in an effectus is pure when it is a composition of a compression and a filter. These maps satisfy particular universal properties and respectively correspond to `forgetting' and `measuring' the validity of an effect.We define a pure effect theory (PET) to be an effect theory where the pure maps form a dagger-category and filters and compressions are adjoint. We show that any convex finite-dimensional PET must embed into the category of Euclidean Jordan algebras. Moreover, if the PET also has monoidal structure, then we show that it must embed into either the category of real or complex C ∗ -algebras, which completes our reconstruction.

Effectuses have recently been introduced as categorical models for quantum computation, with probabilistic and Boolean (classical) computation as special cases. These 'probabilistic' models are called commutative effectuses. All known examples of such commutative effectuses are Kleisli categories of a monad. This paper answers the open question what properties a monad should satisfy so that its Kleisli category is a (commutative) effectus. The relevant properties are: strong affineness and partial additivity, together with some non-triviality conditions.

This paper charts a very direct path between the categorical approach to quantum mechanics, due to Abramsky and Coecke, and the older convex-operational approach based on ordered vector spaces (recently reincarnated as "generalized probabilistic theories"). In the former, the objects of a symmetric monoidal category C are understood to represent physical systems and morphisms, physical processes. Elements of the monoid C(I,I) are interpreted somewhat metaphorically as probabilities. Any monoid homomorphism from the scalars of a symmetric monoidal category C gives rise to a covariant functor V_o from C to a category of dual-pairs of ordered vector spaces. Specifying a natural transformation u from V_o to 1 (where 1 is the trivial such functor) allows us to identify normalized states, and, thus, to regard the image category V_o(C) as consisting of concrete operational models. In this case, if A and B are objects in C, then V_o(A x B) defines a non-signaling composite of V_o(A) and V_o(B). Provided either that C satisfies a "local tomography" condition, or that C is compact closed, this defines a symmetric monoidal structure on the image category, and makes V_o a (strict) monoidal functor.