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arXiv:2605.12828

The Quad-$C_5$ Graph: Maximum Contextuality Gap on Eight Vertices

Uğur Tamer, Berke Ünal, Alper Dizdar, Zafer Gedik, Özgür E. Müstecaplıoğlu

quant-phSubmitted May 12, 2026• Announced May 14, 2026• 0 citations• Revised Sep 29, 2026 (v3)
v1 · May 12, 2026v2 · May 31, 2026v3 · Sep 29, 2026
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Abstract

Quantum measurements can exhibit contextuality: their outcomes cannot always be explained by assigning pre-existing values that are independent of which compatible measurements are performed together. The Klyachko-Can-Binicioğlu-Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality provides the canonical minimal test of this effect for a single three-level quantum system, or qutrit, using five measurement events arranged as a pentagon. Here we ask whether a larger but still compact set of measurement events can produce a stronger separation between quantum predictions and the corresponding noncontextual limit. We perform an exhaustive search over all 11,117 connected non-isomorphic graphs with eight vertices, where each vertex represents a measurement event and edges connect pairs of events that cannot occur together. We identify a sparse ten-edge graph, which we call Quad-$C_5$, as the unique maximizer of this separation at the reported numerical precision. The graph can be understood as four overlapping KCBS pentagons, with every edge shared by two pentagons. Quad-$C_5$ already demonstrates contextuality in a qutrit, for which we obtain an exact analytical result and find the same violation above the noncontextual bound as in the original KCBS test. The larger quantum-noncontextual separation allowed by the graph, however, becomes accessible in a four-level quantum system, where numerical optimization reaches the full graph-theoretic quantum bound and yields a larger contextuality gap than the standard eight-vertex Wagner-graph benchmark while requiring fewer pairwise constraints. Quad-$C_5$ therefore provides a compact connection between minimal qutrit contextuality and stronger contextuality tests available in higher-dimensional quantum systems.

Comments
16 pages, 2 figures, 6 tables

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The Quad-C5C_5C5​ Graph: Maximum Contextuality Gap on Eight Vertices
Quantum measurements can exhibit contextuality: their outcomes cannot always be explained by assigning pre-existing values that are independent of which compatible measurements are performed together. The Klyachko-Can-Binicioğlu-Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality provides the canonical minimal test of this effect for a single three-level quantum system, or qutrit, using five measurement events arranged as a pentagon. Here we ask whether a larger but still compact set of measurement events can produce a stronger separation between quantum predictions and the corresponding noncontextual limit. We perform an exhaustive search over all 11,117 connected non-isomorphic graphs with eight vertices, where each vertex represents a measurement event and edges connect pairs of events that cannot occur together. We identify a sparse ten-edge graph, which we call Quad-C5C_5C5​, as the unique maximizer of this separation at the reported numerical precision. The graph can be understood as four overlapping KCBS pentagons, with every edge shared by two pentagons. Quad-C5C_5C5​ already demonstrates contextuality in a qutrit, for which we obtain an exact analytical result and find the same violation above the noncontextual bound as in the original KCBS test. The larger quantum-noncontextual separation allowed by the graph, however, becomes accessible in a four-level quantum system, where numerical optimization reaches the full graph-theoretic quantum bound and yields a larger contextuality gap than the standard eight-vertex Wagner-graph benchmark while requiring fewer pairwise constraints. Quad-C5C_5C5​ therefore provides a compact connection between minimal qutrit contextuality and stronger contextuality tests available in higher-dimensional quantum systems.
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We present a study of quantum contextuality of three-dimensional mixed states for the Klyachko-Can-Binicio\ifmmode \breve{g}\else \u{g}\fi{}lu-Shumovsky (KCBS) and the Kurzy\ifmmode \acute{n}\else \'{n}\fi{}ski-Kaszlikowski (KK) noncontextuality inequalities. For any class of states whose eigenvalues are arranged in decreasing order, a universal set of measurements always exists for the KK inequality, whereas none exists for the KCBS inequality. This difference can be reflected from the spectral distribution of the overall measurement matrix. Our results would facilitate the error analysis for experimental setups, and our spectral method in the paper combined with graph theory could be useful in future studies on quantum contextuality.
Klyachko—Can—Binicioğlu—Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality is a Bell-like inequality, the violation of which can be used to confirm the existence of quantum contextuality. However, the imperfection of detection efficiency may cause the so-called loophole in actual KCBS's experiments. We derive an alternative KCBS inequality to deal with the loophole in actual KCBS's experiments. We prove that if the experimental data violate this KCBS inequality, the loophole-free violation of the original KCBS inequality will occur. We show that the minimum detection efficiency needed for a loophole-free violation of the KCBS inequality is about 0.9738.
Klyachko–Can–Binicioglu–Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality is a Bell-like inequality,the violation of which can be used to confirm the existence of quantum contextuality.However,the imperfection of detection efficiency may cause the so-called loophole in actual KCBS’s experiments.We derive an alternative KCBS inequality to deal with the loophole in actual KCBS’s experiments.We prove that if the experimental data violate this KCBS inequality,the loophole-free violation of the original KCBS inequality will occur.We show that the minimum detection efficiency needed for a loophole-free violation of the KCBS inequality is about 0.9738.
We show that the maximum quantum violation of the Klyachko-Can-Binicioğlu-Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality is exactly the maximum value satisfying the following principle: The sum of probabilities of pairwise exclusive events cannot exceed 1. We call this principle "global exclusivity," since its power shows up when it is applied to global events resulting from enlarged scenarios in which the events in the inequality are considered jointly with other events. We identify scenarios in which this principle singles out quantum contextuality, and show that a recent proof excluding nonlocal boxes follows from the maximum violation imposed by this principle to the KCBS inequality.
Abstract The Clauser–Horne–Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequality tests locality in quantum theory and is recognized as one of Bell’s inequalities. In contrast, the Klyachko–Can–Binicioğlu–Shumovsky (KCBS) inequality tests noncontextuality, which refers to the idea that measurement outcomes are determined by intrinsic properties independent of other measurements that could be performed simultaneously. While individual quantum states can violate these inequalities separately, it was believed that no single state could violate both simultaneously. This relationship suggests a trade-off between nonlocality and contextuality: if one is violated, the other cannot be. Such a relationship is known as a monogamy relation. Xue et al demonstrated, however, that simultaneous violations of both the CHSH and KCBS inequalities are possible with specific choices of observables. This finding challenges the universal validity of the monogamy relation. They further showed that numerous scenarios exist in which both the CHSH inequality and a noncontextuality inequality involving more than five observables are violated. Nevertheless, the number of such scenarios is finite. In this paper, we extend these findings in two significant ways. First, we show that infinitely many scenarios exist where both the CHSH inequality and a noncontextuality inequality involving an odd number of observables are violated. This demonstrates that the monogamy relation between the CHSH inequality and the noncontextuality inequality fails in infinitely many cases. Second, we identify quantum states that violate both the KCBS inequality and a locality inequality distinct from the CHSH inequality. Our results highlight that the so-called ‘monogamy relation’ between nonlocality and contextuality is not universally valid. Instead, it appears that both phenomena can coexist under broader conditions than initially expected, thus challenging the conventional viewpoint and paving the way for new theoretical and experimental research.