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A real symmetric matrix admitting a finite sum of nonnegative rank-one matrices $x_j{x}_j^T$. It is both a positive semidefinite matrix and a nonnegative matrix, but these two properties alone need not imply membership in the completely positive cone in arbitrary dimension. This matrix notion is distinct from a completely positive map.

A decomposable positive map between complex matrix algebras has the form $\Phi ={\Phi }_1+{\Phi }_2\circ T$, where ${\Phi }_1,{\Phi }_2$ are completely positive maps and $T$ is the matrix transpose. Such a map cannot detect a positive partial transpose entangled state: applying it to one subsystem gives a sum of two positive operators.

For an MPS tensor $A^i$, the transfer map is the completely positive map $\mathcal{E}(X)={\sum }_i{A}^{i}X(A^i{)}^{†}$. Its fixed points control normalization and local expectation values, while its subleading eigenvalues control correlation lengths.

A measurement channel writes a POVM's outcome into an orthogonal classical register:For any input orthonormal basis $|j⟩$, the Kraus operators $K_{a,j}=|a⟩⟨j|\sqrt{E_a}$ realize this map and satisfy ${\sum }_{a,j}{K}_{a,j}^{†}{K}_{a,j}=I$. It is therefore a trace-preserving completely positive map.

A quantum operation is a linear, completely positive, trace-nonincreasing map on operators; its output trace records the probability of a selected outcome. A deterministic process that sends every density matrix to another normalized density matrix is a quantum channel, satisfying linearity, complete positivity and trace preservation. Linearity preserves probabilistic mixtures. Complete positivity means that ${\mathrm{id}}_R\otimes \mathcal{E}$ remains positive for every finite-dimensional reference system $R$, so the process also acts consistently on entangled inputs. Trace preservation maintains total probability. Conditioning a selected branch by dividing by its output trace is generally nonlinear; it is a separate state-update step.

The Stinespring dilation of a deterministic operation on a system $A$ iswhere $U$ is unitary on system plus environment, the initial environment is fixed and independent of the input, and the environment is discarded. A mixed environment can be purified by adding an extra environment system. For different input and output dimensions, use an isometry $V:A\to B\otimes E$ instead of this same-system unitary form.

Choose an orthonormal environment basis $\{|\alpha ⟩\}$. Taking the partial trace gives the Kraus representationUnitarity and completeness of the environment basis giveConversely, suppose the Kraus operators obey this completeness condition. Define $V|\psi ⟩={\sum }_{\alpha }{K}_{\alpha }|\psi ⟩\otimes |\alpha ⟩$. Then $V^{†}V=I$, so $V$ is an isometry. For equal input/output system dimensions, extend the orthonormal images of the subspace $A\otimes |0⟩$ to an orthonormal basis of $A\otimes E$. Mapping a completed input basis to that output basis supplies a unitary $U$ with $U(|\psi ⟩|0⟩)=V|\psi ⟩$. Tracing the environment recovers the given operator sum. This proves both directions of the equivalence.

It also follows directly that every completely positive map in finite dimensions has an operator sum. Form its unnormalized Choi matrix $J=(\mathrm{id}\otimes \mathcal{E})|\Omega ⟩⟨\Omega |$, with $|\Omega ⟩={\sum }_i|i⟩|i⟩$. Complete positivity makes $J\ge 0$. Resolve $J={\sum }_{\alpha }|v_{\alpha }⟩⟨v_{\alpha }|$ and reshape each vector as $|v_{\alpha }⟩={\sum }_i|i⟩K_{\alpha }|i⟩$. Comparing the coefficients of $|i⟩⟨j|$ gives $\mathcal{E}(|i⟩⟨j|)={\sum }_{\alpha }{K}_{\alpha }|i⟩⟨j|K_{\alpha }^{†}$, hence the same formula for every operator by linearity. Trace preservation imposes the completeness condition just derived.

Finally, linearity of the operator sum is immediate from matrix multiplication. For any positive operator $B$ on reference plus system,because each summand is a positive congruence. This proves complete positivity for every reference dimension. Cyclicity of the trace givesKraus form is trace preserving exactly when ${\sum }_{\alpha }{K}_{\alpha }^{†}{K}_{\alpha }=I$. Without this normalization, the final printed assertion would be false: a single operator $K=I/2$ gives output trace one quarter on every input density matrix. Thus the completeness condition is an essential part of the physical Kraus representation.

The transpose map $T(X)=X^T$ in a fixed basis is linear, trace preserving and positive: if $X\ge 0$, then for every $v$, $v^{†}{X}^{T}v=\overline{{\bar{v}}^{†}X\bar{v}}\ge 0$. It is nevertheless not a completely positive map. Apply $\mathrm{id}\otimes T$ to the two-qubit Bell state $|{\Phi }^{+}⟩=(|00⟩+|11⟩)/\sqrt{2}$. The resulting operator iswith eigenvalues $1/2,1/2,1/2,-1/2$. The negative eigenvector is $(|01⟩-|10⟩)/\sqrt{2}$. Thus a positive input on system plus reference acquires a negative expectation value. Transposition is positive but not completely positive, so it cannot be a deterministic local quantum process on arbitrary entangled states.

There is a normalization error in the original PDF: the first term contains $I$ rather than $\rho$. For a normalized qubit density operator, that printed expression has trace $2(1-p)+p=2-p$, so it is not a quantum channel except at $p=1$. The intended depolarizing channel is the Pauli channel that leaves the input unchanged with probability $1-p$ and applies each nonidentity Pauli matrix with probability $p/3$, for $0\le p\le 1$. Its Kraus operators areand ${\sum }_{k=0}^3{K}_k^{†}{K}_k=I$, proving that it is trace-preserving and a completely positive map.

Write the input in its Bloch vector representation,Conjugation by a Pauli matrix keeps its own Bloch vector component and reverses the other two. More explicitly, ${\sigma }_k{\sigma }_j{\sigma }_k={\sigma }_j$ for $j=k$ and $-{\sigma }_j$ for $j\ne k$. HenceThe corrected quantum channel therefore givesThus its action isThe Bloch sphere is sent to a sphere of radius $|1-4p/3|$ about the origin of the Bloch ball. At $p=0$ the action is the identity. For $0<p<3/4$ the Bloch vector shrinks without changing direction. At $p=3/4$ every input becomes the maximally mixed density operator $I/2$. For $3/4<p\le 1$, the Bloch vector reverses direction and shrinks, reaching factor $-1/3$ at $p=1$. The reversal is compatible with complete positivity because this remains a probabilistic mixture of Pauli matrices. The parameter here is the total nonidentity-error probability, not the retention parameter used in some definitions of the quantum depolarizing channel.

For completeness, retain the PDF literally and call its output $F_p(\rho )$. The same calculation givesThis has no normalized-output Bloch ball interpretation as printed. If it is manually normalized, thenThat different transformation sends $p=0$ to $I/2$, rather than to the input, and agrees with the intended answer only at $p=1$. The literal and corrected conventions therefore cannot be silently identified.

A linear map $\Phi$ is a completely positive map if ${\mathrm{id}}_R\otimes \Phi$ sends every positive operator to a positive operator for every finite-dimensional auxiliary system $R$. Positivity of $\Phi$ alone tests only inputs without an auxiliary system and is weaker.

For the Kraus representation, let $\Omega \ge 0$ be any operator on the auxiliary system and the input system. ThenFor any vector $v$, its expectation is ${\sum }_k⟨(I_R\otimes A_k^{†})v,\Omega (I_R\otimes A_k^{†})v⟩\ge 0$. Every amplification is therefore positive, proving the Kraus-form map is completely positive. No normalization condition on the $A_k$ is needed for this positivity proof. To make it a deterministic quantum channel, one additionally requires ${\sum }_k{A}_k^{†}{A}_k=I$; a physical outcome branch instead obeys ${\sum }_k{A}_k^{†}{A}_k\le I$.

Transposition is positive on one system: for any positive $\rho$ and any $v$, $v^{†}{\rho }^{T}v$ is the complex conjugate of ${\bar{v}}^{†}\rho \bar{v}$, hence is real and nonnegative. It fails complete positivity already for a qubit. Apply partial transposition to the second subsystem of the Bell state $|{\Phi }^{+}⟩=(|00⟩+|11⟩)/\sqrt{2}$. The resulting operator isOn the antisymmetric vector $(|01⟩-|10⟩)/\sqrt{2}$, its eigenvalue is $-1/2$. Thus the partial transpose is not positive on this entangled input, andThe same witness embeds into any larger input dimension; in the exceptional one-dimensional case transposition is simply the identity.

Use the unnormalized Choi matrixIt is positive because ${\Phi }_A$ is a completely positive map. Take its spectral decomposition, absorbing square roots of nonzero eigenvalues into the vectors:Expand $|v_k⟩={\sum }_{i,j}{v}_{k,ij}|i{⟩}_A|j{⟩}_B$ and define the Kraus operator $A_k$ by $(A_k{)}_{ij}=v_{k,ij}$. Equivalently,The preceding relative state identity then gives $(I\otimes ⟨{\varphi }_B^{\ast }|)v_k=A_k{\varphi }_A$. Inserting the spectral decomposition into the stated reconstruction identity yieldsThe conjugated index vector is required here; it is present in the PDF but missing in the converted TeX version of this identity.

Rank-one projectors span all operators by polarization. Explicitly, putting $P(w)=|w⟩⟨w|$ givesThus linearity extends the equality to every $X\in \mathcal{B}({\mathcal{H}}_A)$:Finally trace preservation and cyclicity of the trace giveFor pure-projector inputs this says the Hermitian operator ${\sum }_k{A}_k^{†}{A}_k-I$ has zero expectation on every vector, so it vanishes. ThereforeThis is the spectral Kraus decomposition. Using a normalized Choi state $J_{\Phi }/d$ instead would require the extra factor $\sqrt{d}$ when reshaping its eigenvectors into Kraus operators.

The printed normalization has its factors reversed. For the displayed map $\Phi (X)={\sum }_k{A}_{k}X{A}_k^{†}$, the condition ${\sum }_k{A}_k{A}_k^{†}=I$ says $\Phi (I)=I$, which is unitality. Trace preservation instead requiresThese are distinct trace-preserving and unital Kraus conditions. To disprove the printed equivalence, take $0<\gamma <1$ andThey obey ${\sum }_j{B}_j{B}_j^{†}=I$, butThus their completely positive map is not trace preserving. They are the adjoints of the operators of an amplitude damping channel. That channel is trace preserving but sends $I$ to $\mathrm{diag}(1+\gamma ,1-\gamma )$, so it cannot satisfy the printed normalization in any Kraus representation either. The corrected characterization is proved next.

Work in finite-dimensional input and output Hilbert spaces, with a linear map $\Phi$ on operators. Suppose first that $\Phi (X)={\sum }_k{A}_{k}X{A}_k^{†}$ and ${\sum }_k{A}_k^{†}{A}_k=I$. For every auxiliary dimension $m$ and every positive operator $W$ on the extended space,Each summand is positive because conjugation preserves positivity. This is exactly the definition of a completely positive map. Cyclicity of the trace givesso the map is also trace preserving.

Conversely, suppose $\Phi$ is completely positive and trace preserving, and let $|i⟩$ be an orthonormal input basis. Use the unnormalized entangled vector $|\Omega ⟩={\sum }_i|i⟩\otimes |i⟩$, with the reference factor first. Complete positivity makes the corresponding unnormalized Choi matrix positive:Its spectral decomposition can be written $J_{\Phi }={\sum }_k|v_k⟩⟨v_k|$, absorbing the nonnegative eigenvalues into the vectors. Define linear operators $A_k$ uniquely byExpanding the outer products and comparing their $(i,j)$ reference blocks yieldsThe matrix units span all operators, so linearity proves the Kraus representation $\Phi (X)={\sum }_k{A}_{k}X{A}_k^{†}$ for every $X$. Finally, trace preservation givesfor all $X$. Taking matrix units as test operators shows that the matrix in parentheses is zero. This proves both directions of the corrected CPT characterization, including the normalization rather than assuming it.

For an input quantum state ensemble $\{p_x,{\rho }_x\}$, write ${\sigma }_x=\Phi ({\rho }_x)$ and $\bar{\sigma }={\sum }_x{p}_x{\sigma }_x$. Its output Holevo quantity isThe Holevo capacity is the optimized one-use quantitywhere the supremum ranges over finite input ensembles and $S$ is the Von Neumann entropy in bits.

For $n$ uses of a memoryless quantum channel, the map is ${\Phi }^{\otimes n}$. An $n$-use code consists of a finite message set ${\mathcal{M}}_n$ of size $M_n$, an encoding state ${\rho }_m^{(n)}$ on the $n$ inputs for each message, and a decoding POVM $\{D_m^{(n)}:m\in {\mathcal{M}}_n\}$ on the output space, with $D_m^{(n)}\ge 0$ and ${\sum }_m{D}_m^{(n)}=I$. The encoding states may be entangled across uses. The measurement outcome is the receiver's decoded message, with conditional probabilityFor uniformly distributed messages the average error and rate areA rate $R$ is achievable if there is a sequence of such codes with $P_e^{(n)}\to 0$ and ${\mathrm{liminf}}_n{R}_n\ge R$. The unassisted classical capacity of a quantum channel is the supremum of achievable rates; the sender and receiver do not share prior entanglement.

The operational content of the Holevo-Schumacher-Westmoreland theorem is that ${\chi }^{\ast }(\Phi )$ is the capacity for product-state input encodings with collective output measurements. Allowing arbitrary entangled block inputs gives the regularized formulaThe limit equals the supremum because superadditivity of Holevo capacity follows by taking product ensembles for two blocks and using additivity of the Von Neumann entropy on product states. The coding theorem makes every rate below the one-block Holevo quantity achievable through many independently encoded blocks, with collective decoding.

The converse can be seen explicitly from the Holevo bound and Fano's inequality. For a uniform transmitted message $M$ and decoded message $\hat{M}$,The first inequality is obtained by subtracting the Fano bound on $H(M\mid \hat{M})$ from $H(M)={\log }_2{M}_n$. Dividing by $n$ and letting the average error vanish bounds every achievable rate by the regularized expression. The block-coding achievability just described supplies the reverse bound.

Under the assumed additivity of Holevo capacity across tensor powers, ${\chi }^{\ast }({\Phi }^{\otimes n})=n{\chi }^{\ast }(\Phi )$ for every $n$. ThusThe stated conditional assertion is true: under this additivity assumption, entangled input states cannot increase the asymptotic unassisted classical rate beyond the rate already achievable with product inputs. The decoder may still use collective measurements across channel outputs.

In the state-picture convention, a Stinespring representation of a completely positive map $\mathcal{N}:\mathcal{L}({\mathcal{H}}_Q)\to \mathcal{L}({\mathcal{H}}_{Q^{\prime }})$ consists of an auxiliary Hilbert space ${\mathcal{H}}_E$ and a linear map $V:{\mathcal{H}}_Q\to {\mathcal{H}}_{Q^{\prime }}\otimes {\mathcal{H}}_E$ such thatThe partial trace discards the environment. For example, from a Kraus representation $\mathcal{N}(X)={\sum }_j{K}_{j}X{K}_j^{†}$, take $V={\sum }_j{K}_j\otimes |j{⟩}_E$. The adjoint, or observable-picture, form is ${\mathcal{N}}^{†}(Y)=V^{†}(Y\otimes I_E)V$.

A general completely positive map does not require $V$ to be an linear isometry of Hilbert spaces. If $\mathcal{N}$ is trace preserving, then $V^{†}V={\sum }_j{K}_j^{†}{K}_j=I$, so $V$ is an linear isometry of Hilbert spaces. This is the Stinespring dilation of a quantum channel, which will be used in the data-processing proof.

Use two precise finite-dimensional results. The positive-map separability criterion says that a state on ${\mathbb{C}}^2\otimes {\mathbb{C}}^3$ is separable exactly when $({\mathrm{id}}_2\otimes \Phi )(\sigma )\ge 0$ for every positive linear map $\Phi :M_3(\mathbb{C})\to M_2(\mathbb{C})$. The Størmer-Woronowicz decomposability theorem says that every such map is a decomposable positive map, sowith ${\Phi }_1,{\Phi }_2$ completely positive maps and $T$ the matrix transpose on $M_3$.

If $\sigma$ has positive partial transpose, both $\sigma$ and ${\sigma }^{T_B}$ are positive. HenceThe positive-map separability criterion now proves that $\sigma$ is a separable quantum state. The dimension-specific decomposability theorem is essential: the conclusion does not extend to arbitrary bipartite dimensions.

Choose an orthonormal basis $\{|j⟩{\}}_{j=1}^d$ of the input space and define operators from the input to the $k$-dimensional outcome register byThese give a Kraus representation:The POVM completeness relation givesTherefore $\Phi$ is a completely positive map and is trace preserving: it is a quantum channel representing a deterministic measurement channel.

The map $\Lambda$ is a completely positive map when $\Lambda \otimes {\mathrm{id}}_m$ maps positive operators to positive operators for every $m$. In a basis $\{|i⟩\}$ define the unnormalized Choi matrixIf $\Lambda$ is completely positive, $J(\Lambda )=(\mathrm{id}\otimes \Lambda )(|\Omega ⟩⟨\Omega |)\ge 0$, where $|\Omega ⟩={\sum }_i|ii⟩$. Conversely, decompose $J={\sum }_k|a_k⟩⟨a_k|$ and reshape each vector into an operator $A_k$. The Choi reconstruction formula gives $\Lambda (X)={\sum }_k{A}_{k}X{A}_k^{†}$, which is completely positive. Thus

Let $\Phi :M_d(\mathbb{C})\to M_D(\mathbb{C})$ be a linear map. It is positive when $X\ge 0$ implies $\Phi (X)\ge 0$, and completely positive whenis positive for every ancillary dimension $r$. In finite dimensions it is enough to check $r=d$.

A finite family of Kraus operators $A^{\alpha }:{\mathbb{C}}^d\to {\mathbb{C}}^D$ defines the Kraus representationThis map is completely positive because, for every positive semidefinite matrix $Y$ on the enlarged space,

Conversely, use the unnormalized maximally entangled vector $|\Omega ⟩={\sum }_{j=1}^d|j⟩|j⟩$. Complete positivity makes the Choi matrixpositive semidefinite. By the spectral theorem for normal operators, $C_{\Phi }={\sum }_{\alpha =1}^R|v_{\alpha }⟩⟨v_{\alpha }|$, where $R=\mathrm{rank}{C}_{\Phi }\le dD$. Reshape each $v_{\alpha }\in {\mathbb{C}}^D\otimes {\mathbb{C}}^d$ into a matrix $A^{\alpha }$ by $|v_{\alpha }⟩={\sum }_{\mu j}{A}_{\mu j}^{\alpha }|\mu ⟩|j⟩$. The Choi matrix inversion formulathen gives $\Phi (X)={\sum }_{\alpha }{A}^{\alpha }X(A^{\alpha }{)}^{†}$. Thus finite Kraus representations characterize finite-dimensional completely positive maps.

The additional normalizationmakes $\Phi$ trace preserving and hence a quantum channel; ${\sum }_{\alpha }{A}^{\alpha }(A^{\alpha }{)}^{†}=I_D$ instead makes it unital.

An open-boundary matrix product state with physical dimension $q$ and bond dimension $\chi$ iswhere the $A^i$ are $\chi \times \chi$ matrices and $|\ell ⟩,|r⟩$ are boundary vectors. For periodic boundary conditions, replace the boundary contraction by the matrix trace $\mathrm{Tr}(A^{i_1}\cdots A^{i_N})$.

The same matrices define the matrix product state transfer mapWhen ${\sum }_i(A^i{)}^{†}{A}^i=I$, the Stinespring dilationis an isometry. Repeatedly applying $V$ stores each Kraus label in a fresh physical register:Contracting the remaining virtual system with $⟨\ell |$ gives an MPS, while tracing over all recorded labels gives repeated application of the completely positive map $\mathcal{E}$. The MPS is therefore a coherent unravelling of the channel. Equivalently, retaining the Kraus-label registers realizes a purification of its output. A non-normalized MPS tensor gives the same construction with a general completely positive map; an appropriate canonical gauge normalizes the transfer map on its support.

A positive linear map sends every positive semidefinite matrix to a positive semidefinite matrix. Positivity need not persist after tensoring with the identity map on an ancillary system; requiring that stronger property gives a completely positive map.

A completely positive map with ${\sum }_{\alpha }{K}_{\alpha }^{†}{K}_{\alpha }\le I$ is a trace-nonincreasing quantum operation, representing an outcome branch with its probability retained in the trace. A deterministic quantum channel has equality and is trace preserving. Dividing a branch output by its trace gives a conditional state but generally produces a nonlinear update; that normalization is not part of the linear quantum operation.

In finite dimensions, a completely positive map has the form $\mathcal{N}(X)={\mathrm{Tr}}_E(VX{V}^{†})$ for $V:{\mathcal{H}}_Q\to {\mathcal{H}}_{Q\prime }\otimes {\mathcal{H}}_E$. From a Kraus representation take $V={\sum }_j{K}_j\otimes |j⟩$. The observable-picture adjoint is ${\mathcal{N}}^{†}(Y)=V^{†}(Y\otimes I_E)V$. A general completely positive map need not have isometric $V$; it is a linear isometry of Hilbert spaces precisely when the map is trace preserving.