Fidelity of commuting mixed states 2026-10-14
When two density operators are commuting elements, choose a common orthonormal eigenbasis and write , . Their quantum fidelity becomes the classical overlap of the two probability distributions, while their trace distance becomes total variation distance:This follows by computing the positive square root of an operator entry by entry in the common eigenbasis. For the qubit mixed states and ,The two contributions to quantum fidelity are about and . In contrast, the chance that two independent computational basis measurements, one on each preparation, print the same label is . That particular event has a specified probability; neither nor is that probability.
Commuting mixed-state probabilities, square-root overlap contributions to unsquared fidelity F, squared fidelity Fsq, and trace distance D
. Details. Here trace distance means an equal-prior quantum state discrimination success of by the Holevo–Helstrom theorem. Measuring in the common computational basis and guessing on outcome zero and on outcome one achieves . Also : the pure-state trace distance and fidelity identity is an equality for pure states, rather than a formula for arbitrary mixed states.
