This paper surveys the issue of relativistic causality within the framework of algebraic quantum field theory (AQFT). In doing so, we distinguish various notions of causality formulated in the literature and study their relationships, and thereby we offer what we hope to be a useful taxonomy. We propose that the most direct expression of relativistic causality in AQFT is captured not (as has sometimes been claimed) by the spectrum condition but rather by the axiom of local primitive causality, in that it entails a form of local determinism for quantum fields which generalizes the constraint of no superluminal propagation of classical field theories to relativistic quantum field theory. We discuss the status of the axiom of micro-causality by locating its place within a large family of separability/independence/locality conditions developed for AQFT and also by relating it to so-called no-signalling theorems. And we also provide a critical survey of attempts to understand the implications for relativistic causality of the distant correlations endemic to the states in models of AQFT satisfying the standard axioms, and we provide an assessment of attempts to employ Reichenbach's common cause principle in AQFT to defuse worries that these distant correlations implicate direct causal connections between relatively spacelike events.This paper surveys the issue of relativistic causality within the framework of algebraic quantum field theory (AQFT). In doing so, we distinguish various notions of causality formulated in the literature and study their relationships, and thereby we offer what we hope to be a useful taxonomy. We propose that the most direct expression of relativistic causality in AQFT is captured not (as has sometimes been claimed) by the spectrum condition but rather by the axiom of local primitive causality, in that it entails a form of local determinism for quantum fields which generalizes the constraint of no superluminal propagation of classical field theories to relativistic quantum field theory. We discuss the status of the axiom of micro-causality by locating its place within a large family of separability/independence/locality conditions developed for AQFT and also by relating it to so-called no-signalling theorems. And we also provide a critical survey of attempts to understand the implications for relativistic causality of the distant correlations endemic to the states in models of AQFT satisfying the standard axioms, and we provide an assessment of attempts to employ Reichenbach's common cause principle in AQFT to defuse worries that these distant correlations implicate direct causal connections between relatively spacelike events.

International Studies in the Philosophy of ScienceJan 2, 201452 citations

Implicational quantum logic

Kenji Tokuo

AxiomathesJan 21, 20221 citation

Hypercontractivity and logarithmic Sobolev Inequality for non-primitive quantum Markov semigroups and estimation of decoherence rates

Ivan Bardet, Cambyse Rouzé

We generalize the concepts of weak quantum logarithmic Sobolev inequality (LSI) and weak hypercontractivity (HC), introduced in the quantum setting by Olkiewicz and Zegarlinski, to the case of non-primitive quantum Markov semigroups (QMS). The originality of this work resides in that this new notion of hypercontractivity is given in terms of the so-called amalgamated $\mathbb{L}_p$ norms introduced recently by Junge and Parcet in the context of operator spaces theory. We make three main contributions. The first one is a version of Gross' integration lemma: we prove that (weak) HC implies (weak) LSI. Surprisingly, the converse implication differs from the primitive case as we show that LSI implies HC but with a weak constant equal to the cardinal of the center of the decoherence-free algebra. Building on the first implication, our second contribution is the fact that strong LSI and therefore strong HC do not hold for non-trivially primitive QMS. This implies that the amalgamated $\mathbb{L}_p$ norms are not uniformly convex for $1\leq p \leq 2$ . As a third contribution, we derive universal bounds on the (weak) logarithmic Sobolev constants for a QMS on a finite dimensional Hilbert space, using a similar method as Diaconis and Saloff-Coste in the case of classical primitive Markov chains, and Temme, Pastawski and Kastoryano in the case of primitive QMS. This leads to new bounds on the decoherence rates of decohering QMS. Additionally, we apply our results to the study of the tensorization of HC in non-commutative spaces in terms of the completely bounded norms (CB norms) recently introduced by Beigi and King for unital and trace preserving QMS. We generalize their results to the case of a general primitive QMS and provide estimates on the (weak) constants.We generalize the concepts of weak quantum logarithmic Sobolev inequality (LSI) and weak hypercontractivity (HC), introduced in the quantum setting by Olkiewicz and Zegarlinski, to the case of non-primitive quantum Markov semigroups (QMS). The originality of this work resides in that this new notion of hypercontractivity is given in terms of the so-called amalgamated $\mathbb{L}_p$ norms introduced recently by Junge and Parcet in the context of operator spaces theory. We make three main contributions. The first one is a version of Gross' integration lemma: we prove that (weak) HC implies (weak) LSI. Surprisingly, the converse implication differs from the primitive case as we show that LSI implies HC but with a weak constant equal to the cardinal of the center of the decoherence-free algebra. Building on the first implication, our second contribution is the fact that strong LSI and therefore strong HC do not hold for non-trivially primitive QMS. This implies that the amalgamated $\mathbb{L}_p$ norms are not uniformly convex for $1\leq p \leq 2$. As a third contribution, we derive universal bounds on the (weak) logarithmic Sobolev constants for a QMS on a finite dimensional Hilbert space, using a similar method as Diaconis and Saloff-Coste in the case of classical primitive Markov chains, and Temme, Pastawski and Kastoryano in the case of primitive QMS. This leads to new bounds on the decoherence rates of decohering QMS. Additionally, we apply our results to the study of the tensorization of HC in non-commutative spaces in terms of the completely bounded norms (CB norms) recently introduced by Beigi and King for unital and trace preserving QMS. We generalize their results to the case of a general primitive QMS and provide estimates on the (weak) constants.

arXiv:1803.05379Mar 14, 20183 citations

Finite Classical and Quantum Effect Algebras

S. P. Gudder

arXiv:2407.10001International Journal of Theoretical PhysicsMar 27, 20260 citations

From Worst-Case Hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$ to Quantum Cryptography via Quantum Indistinguishability ObfuscationFrom Worst-Case Hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$ to Quantum Cryptography via Quantum Indistinguishability Obfuscation

Tomoyuki Morimae, Shirakawa, Yuki, Takashi Yamakawa

Indistinguishability obfuscation (iO) has emerged as a powerful cryptographic primitive with many implications. While classical iO, combined with the infinitely-often worst-case hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$ , is known to imply one-way functions (OWFs) and a range of advanced cryptographic primitives, the cryptographic implications of quantum iO remain poorly understood. In this work, we initiate a study of the power of quantum iO. We define several natural variants of quantum iO, distinguished by whether the obfuscation algorithm, evaluation algorithm, and description of obfuscated program are classical or quantum. For each variant, we identify quantum cryptographic primitives that can be constructed under the assumption of quantum iO and the infinitely-often quantum worst-case hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$ (i.e., $\mathsf{NP}\not\subseteq\mathsf{\text{i.o.} BQP}$ ). In particular, we construct pseudorandom unitaries, QCCC quantum public-key encryption and (QCCC) quantum symmetric-key encryption, and several primitives implied by them such as one-way state generators, (efficiently-verifiable) one-way puzzles, and EFI pairs, etc. While our main focus is on quantum iO, even in the classical setting, our techniques yield a new and arguably simpler construction of OWFs from classical (imperfect) iO and the infinitely-often worst-case hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$ .Indistinguishability obfuscation (iO) has emerged as a powerful cryptographic primitive with many implications. While classical iO, combined with the infinitely-often worst-case hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$, is known to imply one-way functions (OWFs) and a range of advanced cryptographic primitives, the cryptographic implications of quantum iO remain poorly understood. In this work, we initiate a study of the power of quantum iO. We define several natural variants of quantum iO, distinguished by whether the obfuscation algorithm, evaluation algorithm, and description of obfuscated program are classical or quantum. For each variant, we identify quantum cryptographic primitives that can be constructed under the assumption of quantum iO and the infinitely-often quantum worst-case hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$ (i.e., $\mathsf{NP}\not\subseteq\mathsf{\text{i.o.} BQP}$). In particular, we construct pseudorandom unitaries, QCCC quantum public-key encryption and (QCCC) quantum symmetric-key encryption, and several primitives implied by them such as one-way state generators, (efficiently-verifiable) one-way puzzles, and EFI pairs, etc. While our main focus is on quantum iO, even in the classical setting, our techniques yield a new and arguably simpler construction of OWFs from classical (imperfect) iO and the infinitely-often worst-case hardness of $\mathsf{NP}$.

arXiv:2506.19542Leibniz international proceedings in informaticsJun 24, 20250 citations

\mathbb{L}_p

norms introduced recently by Junge and Parcet in the context of operator spaces theory. We make three main contributions. The first one is a version of Gross' integration lemma: we prove that (weak) HC implies (weak) LSI. Surprisingly, the converse implication differs from the primitive case as we show that LSI implies HC but with a weak constant equal to the cardinal of the center of the decoherence-free algebra. Building on the first implication, our second contribution is the fact that strong LSI and therefore strong HC do not hold for non-trivially primitive QMS. This implies that the amalgamated

\mathbb{L}_p

norms are not uniformly convex for

1\leq p \leq 2

. As a third contribution, we derive universal bounds on the (weak) logarithmic Sobolev constants for a QMS on a finite dimensional Hilbert space, using a similar method as Diaconis and Saloff-Coste in the case of classical primitive Markov chains, and Temme, Pastawski and Kastoryano in the case of primitive QMS. This leads to new bounds on the decoherence rates of decohering QMS. Additionally, we apply our results to the study of the tensorization of HC in non-commutative spaces in terms of the completely bounded norms (CB norms) recently introduced by Beigi and King for unital and trace preserving QMS. We generalize their results to the case of a general primitive QMS and provide estimates on the (weak) constants.

From Worst-Case Hardness of

\mathsf{NP}

to Quantum Cryptography via Quantum Indistinguishability Obfuscation

Indistinguishability obfuscation (iO) has emerged as a powerful cryptographic primitive with many implications. While classical iO, combined with the infinitely-often worst-case hardness of

\mathsf{NP}

, is known to imply one-way functions (OWFs) and a range of advanced cryptographic primitives, the cryptographic implications of quantum iO remain poorly understood. In this work, we initiate a study of the power of quantum iO. We define several natural variants of quantum iO, distinguished by whether the obfuscation algorithm, evaluation algorithm, and description of obfuscated program are classical or quantum. For each variant, we identify quantum cryptographic primitives that can be constructed under the assumption of quantum iO and the infinitely-often quantum worst-case hardness of

\mathsf{NP}

(i.e.,

\mathsf{NP}\not\subseteq\mathsf{\text{i.o.} BQP}

). In particular, we construct pseudorandom unitaries, QCCC quantum public-key encryption and (QCCC) quantum symmetric-key encryption, and several primitives implied by them such as one-way state generators, (efficiently-verifiable) one-way puzzles, and EFI pairs, etc. While our main focus is on quantum iO, even in the classical setting, our techniques yield a new and arguably simpler construction of OWFs from classical (imperfect) iO and the infinitely-often worst-case hardness of

\mathsf{NP}