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A nonzero bipartite pure state is a product state if and only if all its partial inner products on the first subsystem lie in a common one-dimensional vector subspace of the second. For a product $|a⟩\otimes |b⟩$, every contraction equals $⟨u|a⟩|b⟩$. Conversely, contract against each vector of an orthonormal basis to write $|\Psi ⟩={\sum }_i|i⟩\otimes |{\chi }_i⟩$. If $|{\chi }_i⟩=c_i|b⟩$ for a common nonzero $|b⟩$, then $|\Psi ⟩=({\sum }_i{c}_i|i⟩)\otimes |b⟩$. Zero conditional vectors are allowed. A nontrivial linear dependence relation requires multipliers not both zero; allowing both multipliers to vanish would give no test at all.

A partial inner product contracts one factor of a bipartite state against a fixed bra, leaving a vector in the other factor. For $|\Psi ⟩={\sum }_{i,j}{c}_{ij}|i⟩\otimes |j⟩$ and $|a⟩={\sum }_i{a}_i|i⟩$, the result is ${\sum }_{i,j}\overline{a_i}{c}_{ij}|j⟩$. It is linear in $|\Psi ⟩$ and conjugate-linear in $|a⟩$. For a normalized rank-one projective outcome on the first factor, its squared norm is the outcome probability; divide by that norm to obtain the conditional pure state when it is nonzero.

Consider one normalized measurement vector $|u⟩=a|0⟩+b|1⟩$ on C. The unnormalized partial inner product on AB isIts tensor-product coefficient matrix and determinant areThe two-qubit product-state determinant criterion therefore says that this branch is entangled whenever $a\ne 0$. Its probability is $(|b{|}^2+2|a{|}^2)/3>0$, so such a branch is physically possible and can be normalized without changing whether its determinant vanishes.

For an orthonormal basis $\{|u_0⟩,|u_1⟩\}$, completeness gives $|⟨0|u_0⟩{|}^2+|⟨0|u_1⟩{|}^2=1$. At least one vector has $a\ne 0$. Hence at least one nonzero-probability outcome leaves AB entangled, proving conditional entanglement of the three-qubit W state. Some bases give two entangled branches; the computational basis gives one entangled and one product branch. The claim is not that every outcome must entangle AB.

Write the product state as $|\Psi ⟩=|a⟩\otimes |b⟩$. The two partial inner products areBoth vectors therefore lie in the same one-dimensional vector subspace, possibly with one or both equal to zero. If $(c_1,c_2)\ne (0,0)$, choose ${\lambda }_1=c_2$ and ${\lambda }_2=c_1$; then ${\lambda }_1|{\psi }_1^{\prime }⟩={\lambda }_2|{\psi }_2^{\prime }⟩$, and the multipliers are not both zero. If both $c_j$ vanish, choose $({\lambda }_1,{\lambda }_2)=(1,0)$.

Thus the conditional vectors are linearly dependent, with a nontrivial pair of multipliers in every case. The printed existential condition does not explicitly exclude $(0,0)$, which would make it vacuous for arbitrary vectors; the argument establishes the stronger intended statement. These unnormalized vectors need not themselves be valid unit state vectors, and a zero vector corresponds to a measurement outcome of probability zero. This is the forward direction of the conditional-vector product-state criterion.

Taking partial inner products with $⟨0|$ and $⟨1|$ on the first wire gives $(|0⟩+|1⟩)/2$ and $(-|0⟩+|1⟩)/2$. They are nonzero and orthogonal, hence linearly independent. This contradicts the necessary product-state property proved in part (a), so the second state is entangled.

Equivalently, its tensor-product coefficient matrix is $C=\frac{1}{2}\left(\begin{array}{cc}1& 1\\ -1& 1\end{array}\right)$, with $\det C=1/2\ne 0$. The two-qubit product-state determinant criterion gives the same conclusion. In fact $C{C}^{†}=I/2$, so its Schmidt coefficients are both $1/\sqrt{2}$: it is maximally entangled.