Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2511.20450

Triangle Inequality for a Quantum Wasserstein Divergence

Melchior Wirth

math-phmath.FAquant-phSubmitted Nov 25, 2025• Announced Nov 26, 2025• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We resolve a conjecture of De Palma and Trevisan by proving the triangle inequality for a quantum 2-Wasserstein distance. The proof relies on complex analysis methods to establish a new integral representation of the cost in the optimal transport problem.

Related papers

Wasserstein distances and divergences of order $p$ by quantum channels

Gergely Bunth, József Pitrik, Tamás Titkos +1 more

We introduce a non-quadratic generalization of the quantum mechanical optimal transport problem introduced in [De Palma and Trevisan, Ann. Henri Poincaré, {\bf 22} (2021), 3199-3234] where quantum channels realize the transport. Relying on this general machinery, we introduce $p$-Wasserstein distances and divergences and study their fundamental geometric properties. Finally, we prove triangle inequality for quadratic Wasserstein divergences under the sole assumption that an arbitrary one of the states involved is pure, which is a generalization of our previous result in this direction.

arXiv:2501.08066•Jan 14, 2025•0 citations

Quantum Wasserstein distance for Gaussian states

Anaelle Hertz, Mohammad Ahmadpoor, Oleksandr Dzhenzherov +2 more

Optimal transport between classical probability distributions has been proven useful in areas such as machine learning and random combinatorial optimization. Quantum optimal transport, and the quantum Wasserstein distance as the minimal cost associated with transforming one quantum state to another, is expected to have implications in quantum state discrimination and quantum metrology. In this work, following the formalism introduced in [De Palma, G. and Trevisan, D. Ann. Henri Poincaré, {\bf 22} (2021), 3199-3234] to compute the optimal transport plan between two quantum states, we give a general formula for the Wasserstein distance of order 2 between any two one-mode Gaussian states. We discuss how the Wasserstein distance between classical Gaussian distributions and the quantum Wasserstein distance by De Palma and Trevisan for thermal states can be recovered from our general formula for Gaussian states. This opens the path to directly compare various known distance measures with the Wasserstein distance through their closed-form solutions.

quant-pharXiv:2512.17809•Dec 22, 2025•0 citations

Metric property of quantum Wasserstein divergences

Gergely Bunth, József Pitrik, Tamás Titkos +1 more

Quantum Wasserstein divergences are modified versions of quantum Wasserstein distances defined by channels and they have been conjectured to be genuine metrics on quantum state spaces by De Palma and Trevisan. We prove triangle inequality for quantum Wasserstein divergences for every quantum system described by a separable Hilbert space and any quadratic cost operator under the assumption that a particular state involved is pure and all the states have finite energy. We also provide strong numerical evidence suggesting that the triangle inequality holds in general for an arbitrary choice of states.

arXiv:2402.13150•Physical Review A•Aug 7, 2024•7 citations

Comment on 'Quantum Monge-Kantorovich Problem and Transport Distance between Density Matrices'

Tomasz Miller

Friedland et al. [PRL 129, 110402 (2022)] proposed and studied a quantum analogue of the $p$-Wasserstein distance based on quantum cost matrices and quantum couplings. They conjectured that, despite being only a semidistance in general, this quantity is a true distance for a particular quantum cost matrix and for cost matrices in a small neighborhood of it. We disprove these conjectures by exhibiting an explicit family of triples of states for which the triangle inequality fails.

quant-pharXiv:2607.07764•Jul 9, 2026•0 citations

Relations between different definitions of the quantum Wasserstein distance

Géza Tóth, József Pitrik

The quantum Wasserstein distances defined by Golse, Mouhot, Paul, and Caglioti and by De Palma and Trevisan coincide for qubits when a single operator appears in the cost function. As a consequence, the square of the self-distance equals the Wigner-Yanase skew information in this case. Moreover, for finite-dimensional systems of dimension $d\ge2$ and any number of operators, we show that the Golse-Mouhot-Paul-Caglioti self-distance is bounded from below by the De Palma-Trevisan self-distance.

quant-pharXiv:2605.03027•May 6, 2026•0 citations

Quantum Optimal Transport: Quantum Couplings and Many-Body Problems

François Golse

This text is a set of lecture notes for a 4.5-hour course given at the Erdös Center (Rényi Institute, Budapest) during the Summer School "Optimal Transport on Quantum Structures" (September 19th-23rd, 2023). Lecture I introduces the quantum analogue of the Wasserstein distance of exponent $2$ defined in [F. Golse, C. Mouhot, T. Paul: Comm. Math. Phys. 343 (2016), 165-205], and in [F. Golse, T. Paul: Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 223 (2017) 57-94]. Lecture II discusses various applications of this quantum analogue of the Wasserstein distance of exponent $2$, while Lecture III discusses several of its most important properties, such as the triangle inequality, and the Kantorovich duality in the quantum setting, together with some of their implications.

arXiv:2308.11134•Aug 22, 2023•0 citations
Wasserstein distances and divergences of order ppp by quantum channels
We introduce a non-quadratic generalization of the quantum mechanical optimal transport problem introduced in [De Palma and Trevisan, Ann. Henri Poincaré, {\bf 22} (2021), 3199-3234] where quantum channels realize the transport. Relying on this general machinery, we introduce ppp-Wasserstein distances and divergences and study their fundamental geometric properties. Finally, we prove triangle inequality for quadratic Wasserstein divergences under the sole assumption that an arbitrary one of the states involved is pure, which is a generalization of our previous result in this direction.
Optimal transport between classical probability distributions has been proven useful in areas such as machine learning and random combinatorial optimization. Quantum optimal transport, and the quantum Wasserstein distance as the minimal cost associated with transforming one quantum state to another, is expected to have implications in quantum state discrimination and quantum metrology. In this work, following the formalism introduced in [De Palma, G. and Trevisan, D. Ann. Henri Poincaré, {\bf 22} (2021), 3199-3234] to compute the optimal transport plan between two quantum states, we give a general formula for the Wasserstein distance of order 2 between any two one-mode Gaussian states. We discuss how the Wasserstein distance between classical Gaussian distributions and the quantum Wasserstein distance by De Palma and Trevisan for thermal states can be recovered from our general formula for Gaussian states. This opens the path to directly compare various known distance measures with the Wasserstein distance through their closed-form solutions.
Quantum Wasserstein divergences are modified versions of quantum Wasserstein distances defined by channels and they have been conjectured to be genuine metrics on quantum state spaces by De Palma and Trevisan. We prove triangle inequality for quantum Wasserstein divergences for every quantum system described by a separable Hilbert space and any quadratic cost operator under the assumption that a particular state involved is pure and all the states have finite energy. We also provide strong numerical evidence suggesting that the triangle inequality holds in general for an arbitrary choice of states.
Friedland et al. [PRL 129, 110402 (2022)] proposed and studied a quantum analogue of the ppp-Wasserstein distance based on quantum cost matrices and quantum couplings. They conjectured that, despite being only a semidistance in general, this quantity is a true distance for a particular quantum cost matrix and for cost matrices in a small neighborhood of it. We disprove these conjectures by exhibiting an explicit family of triples of states for which the triangle inequality fails.
The quantum Wasserstein distances defined by Golse, Mouhot, Paul, and Caglioti and by De Palma and Trevisan coincide for qubits when a single operator appears in the cost function. As a consequence, the square of the self-distance equals the Wigner-Yanase skew information in this case. Moreover, for finite-dimensional systems of dimension d≥2d\ge2d≥2 and any number of operators, we show that the Golse-Mouhot-Paul-Caglioti self-distance is bounded from below by the De Palma-Trevisan self-distance.
This text is a set of lecture notes for a 4.5-hour course given at the Erdös Center (Rényi Institute, Budapest) during the Summer School "Optimal Transport on Quantum Structures" (September 19th-23rd, 2023). Lecture I introduces the quantum analogue of the Wasserstein distance of exponent 222 defined in [F. Golse, C. Mouhot, T. Paul: Comm. Math. Phys. 343 (2016), 165-205], and in [F. Golse, T. Paul: Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 223 (2017) 57-94]. Lecture II discusses various applications of this quantum analogue of the Wasserstein distance of exponent 222, while Lecture III discusses several of its most important properties, such as the triangle inequality, and the Kantorovich duality in the quantum setting, together with some of their implications.