Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-quantum-mechanics-quantum-theory-and-quantum-computers-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2007/b/7/solution

Let and take the reduced positive operator . Choose orthonormal eigenvectors for its positive eigenvalues . Define
The defining identity of the partial trace gives , so the are orthonormal. Expansion in a full eigenbasis of yields ; zero-eigenvalue terms have zero squared norm and contribute nothing. Thus
The zero vector has the empty decomposition. Unit normalization would give , but no normalization is needed for the theorem itself.
For the given vector, the coefficient matrix is . Its second reduced operator is , whose eigenvalues are and eigenvectors , . The corresponding normalized first-factor vectors are
Their norms are one and their inner product is zero. Hence
Expanding the two terms returns the original three contributions. The vector has squared norm ; if a normalized state is wanted, divide by two and the Schmidt coefficients become and .

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