Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/iii/paper-60/1/d/solution

The eigenvalues of a density operator are nonnegative and sum to one. Therefore
For a non-pure state at least two eigenvalues are positive, so the last expression is strictly positive. Combining this with the Generalized Bloch representation gives
Thus every non-pure quantum state lies strictly inside the radius sphere for . It need not be an interior point of the entire physical state body: for , a rank-deficient mixed density operator can lie on that body's boundary while still lying inside the Euclidean sphere.

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