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arXiv:2109.06792

The Logic of Quantum Programs

Alexandru Baltag, Sonja Smets

Published Sep 14, 2021• 41 citations
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Abstract

We present a logical calculus for reasoning about information flow in quantum programs. In particular we introduce a dynamic logic that is capable of dealing with quantum measurements, unitary evolutions and entanglements in compound quantum systems. We give a syntax and a relational semantics in which we abstract away from phases and probabilities. We present a sound proof system for this logic, and we show how to characterize by logical means various forms of entanglement (e.g. the Bell states) and various linear operators. As an example we sketch an analysis of the teleportation protocol.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2109.06792

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We present a logical calculus for reasoning about information flow in quantum programs. In particular we introduce a dynamic logic that is capable of dealing with quantum measurements, unitary evolutions and entanglements in compound quantum systems. We give a syntax and a relational semantics in which we abstract away from phases and probabilities. We present a sound proof system for this logic, and we show how to characterize by logical means various forms of entanglement (e.g. the Bell states) and various linear operators. As an example we sketch an analysis of the teleportation protocol.
This paper provides an overview of quantum dynamic logics, showing how they have been designed and illustrating how these logics can be applied to verify the correctness of quantum protocols. Similar to the advantages of using dynamic logics to reason about the flow of classical information, the quantum analogues of these logics are tailored to the task of reasoning about the flow of quantum information. We present our logical systems in a modular way, starting with the qualitative logic of quantum measurements and unitary evolutions in single quantum systems, which can already express non-classical effects, e.g., the state-changing interference induced by quantum tests, their non-commutativity, etc. We then move on to logics for compound quantum systems that can capture the non-local features of quantum information: separability, entanglement, correlated measurements, Bell states, etc. We then briefly summarize the logic of quantum probabilities and sketch some applications to quantum protocols.
The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a dynamic logic formalism for reasoning about information flow in composite quantum systems. This builds on our previous work on a complete quantum dynamic logic for single systems. Here we extend that work to a sound (but not necessarily complete) logic for composite systems, which brings together ideas from the quantum logic tradition with concepts from (dynamic) modal logic and from quantum computation. This Logic of Quantum Programs (LQP) is capable of expressing important features of quantum measurements and unitary evolutions of multi-partite states, as well as giving logical characterisations to various forms of entanglement (for example, the Bell states, the GHZ states etc.). We present a finitary syntax, a relational semantics and a sound proof system for this logic. As applications, we use our system to give formal correctness proofs for the Teleportation protocol and for a standard Quantum Secret Sharing protocol; a whole range of other quantum circuits and programs, including other well-known protocols (for example, superdense coding, entanglement swapping, logic-gate teleportation etc.), can be similarly verified using our logic.
The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a dynamic logic formalism for reasoning about information flow in composite quantum systems. This builds on our previous work on a complete quantum dynamic logic for single systems. Here we extend that work to a sound (but not necessarily complete) logic for composite systems, which brings together ideas from the quantum logic tradition with concepts from (dynamic) modal logic and from quantum computation. This Logic of Quantum Programs (LQP) is capable of expressing important features of quantum measurements and unitary evolutions of multi-partite states, as well as giving logical characterisations to various forms of entanglement (for example, the Bell states, the GHZ states etc.). We present a finitary syntax, a relational semantics and a sound proof system for this logic. As applications, we use our system to give formal correctness proofs for the Teleportation protocol and for a standard Quantum Secret Sharing protocol; a whole range of other quantum circuits and programs, including other well-known protocols (for example, superdense coding, entanglement swapping, logic-gate teleportation etc.), can be similarly verified using our logic.
Current research in Logic is no longer confined to the traditional study of logical consequence or valid inference. As can be witnessed by the range of topics covered in this special issue, the subject matter of logic encompasses several kinds of informational processes ranging from proofs and inferences to dialogues, observations, measurements, communication and computation. What interests us here is its application to quantum physics: how does logic handle informational processes such as observations and measurements of quantum systems? What are the basic logical principles fit to handle and reason about quantum physical processes? These are the central questions in this paper. It is my aim to provide the reader with some food for thought and to give some pointers to the literature that provide an easy access to this field of research. In the next section I give a brief historical sketch of the origin of the quantum logic project. Next I will explain the theory of orthomodular lat-tices in section 2. Section 3 covers the syntax and semantics of traditional