Abstract. Using the Naimark dilation theory we investigate the question under what conditions an observable which is a coarse graining of another observable is a function of it. To this end, conditions for the separability and for the Boolean structure of an observable are given.
We consider two different ways of representing stochastic matrices by bi-stochastic ones acting on a larger probability space, referred to as ``dilation by uniform coarse graining" and ``environmental dilation". The latter is motivated by analogy to the dilation of operations in quantum theory. Both types of dilation can be viewed as special cases of a general ``dilation by coarse graining". We also discuss the entropy balance and illustrate our results, among others, by an example of a stochastic 4×4-matrix, which serves as a simplified model of the conditional action of Maxwell's demon.
We formulate an operator-algebraic mechanism by which exact Boolean records can arise from local completely positive quantum operations without being imposed as microscopic structure. The kinematic input is an algebraic process functional assigning probabilities to local normal completely positive operations in a finite operational context. From the predual response of a target algebra to source interventions, relative to a background strategy class, we define an influence algebra; exact events are then, by definition, the projections in its center. The dynamical question is whether nontrivial centers can be generated by coarse-graining rather than inserted through split-record laboratories. We address this question using state-preserving normal unital completely positive coarse-graining channels. If the Cesaro means of such a channel converge to a Choi-Effros infrared range and the range is asymptotically abelian in the GNS seminorm, then the represented infrared algebra is a commutative von Neumann algebra. Its projection lattice is therefore a complete Boolean algebra. We also give a finite-sector block-primitive criterion, motivated by locality and scrambling, which implies this asymptotic abelianness with exponential suppression of off-sector coherences and intra-sector fluctuations. The result is a conservative mathematical statement: classical facts are not identified with arbitrary projections of a Type-III local algebra, but with central projections selected by an asymptotically abelian completely positive infrared limit.
Abstract After a short review of the main properties of unsharp observables we provide examples of commutative unsharp observables obtained as the projection of sharp observables. In particular, we consider a family of PVMs defined on the tensor product Hilbert space H ⊗ K which include the one introduced by Ozawa in his modification of the von Neumann position measurement model and show that their projections onto H are commutative POVMs. Then, we make some observations on the concept of Naimark dilation and its connections with the integral representation of commutative POVMs. Finally, we introduce a partial order relation in the set of Naimark dilations, show that there is a minimal element and that it is unique. Minimality is a consequence of the partial ordered structure and coincides with the usual definition of minimal Naimark dilation. In passing, we use Naimark’s theorem in order to prove some well known properties of positive operator valued measures.