Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/ii/paper-3/15c/a/solution

Let . For a two-outcome measurement with effect interpreted as guess zero,
The positive-eigenspace projector of maximizes the last trace, giving the Helstrom formula
On the span of the two states, has eigenvalues
Therefore
and the positive/negative eigenspace measurement attains equality.
The right side equals one exactly when . Thus two pure states are perfectly distinguishable exactly when they are orthogonal.

New to topics? Read the docs here!