Solution (source code)

= Solution

For <probability distributions> $p$ and $q$ on a finite alphabet, their classical <relative entropy> in bits is
$$
D(p\|q)=\sum_{x:p(x)>0}p(x)\log_2\frac{p(x)}{q(x)}.
$$
A zero-$p$ term contributes zero, including when $q(x)=0$; a term with $p(x)>0$ and $q(x)=0$ makes the result $+\infty$. In that infinite case nonnegativity is immediate. Otherwise $q(x)>0$ on the support $J_p$ of $p$. For every $u>0$, $\ln u\leq u-1$: the function $u-1-\ln u$ has derivative $1-1/u$ and its minimum zero at $u=1$. Apply this with $u=q(x)/p(x)$ to obtain
$$
\begin{aligned}
D(p\|q)&=-\frac1{\ln2}\sum_{x\in J_p}p(x)\ln\frac{q(x)}{p(x)}\\
&\geq\frac1{\ln2}\sum_{x\in J_p}[p(x)-q(x)]\\
&=\frac{1-\sum_{x\in J_p}q(x)}{\ln2}\geq0.
\end{aligned}
$$
The last inequality uses normalization of $q$. Thus $\boxed{D(p\|q)\geq0}$. Equality requires $q(x)=p(x)$ wherever $p(x)>0$ and no $q$-mass outside that support, hence occurs precisely when $p=q$.

For <density matrices>, use
$$
S(\rho\|\sigma)=\operatorname{Tr}\rho(\log_2\rho-\log_2\sigma)
$$
when the <support of a positive operator> $\rho$ is contained in that of $\sigma$, and set it to $+\infty$ otherwise. The <data-processing inequality for quantum relative entropy> states that for any <quantum channel> $\Phi$,
$$
\boxed{S(\Phi(\rho)\|\Phi(\sigma))\leq S(\rho\|\sigma).}
$$
Thus the relative entropy of the two output states cannot exceed that of the inputs.

For the states with a classical flag, omit indices of weight zero. On a positive-weight block, the <matrix logarithms> obey
$$
\log_2(p_i\rho_i)=(\log_2p_i)I+\log_2\rho_i,
\qquad
\log_2(p_i\sigma_i)=(\log_2p_i)I+\log_2\sigma_i
$$
on the relevant supports. The logarithms of $p_i$ cancel. Taking the trace block by block therefore gives the <relative entropy of classically flagged states>:
$$
\boxed{S\!\left(\sum_ip_i|i\rangle\langle i|\otimes\rho_i\ \middle\|\
\sum_ip_i|i\rangle\langle i|\otimes\sigma_i\right)
=\sum_{i:p_i>0}p_iS(\rho_i\|\sigma_i).}
$$
If support inclusion fails in a positive-weight block, both sides are infinite. A zero-weight block makes no contribution, even if its unweighted relative entropy is infinite.

Tracing out the flag is a <quantum channel> with operators $A_i=\langle i|\otimes I$, since $\sum_iA_i^\dagger A_i=I$. It sends the two flagged states to $\sum_ip_i\rho_i$ and $\sum_ip_i\sigma_i$. Applying the <data-processing inequality for quantum relative entropy> to this <partial trace> proves <joint convexity of quantum relative entropy>:
$$
\boxed{S\!\left(\sum_ip_i\rho_i\ \middle\|\ \sum_ip_i\sigma_i\right)
\leq\sum_{i:p_i>0}p_iS(\rho_i\|\sigma_i).}
$$

For a bipartite state, set $\rho_A=\operatorname{Tr}_B\rho_{AB}$ and $\rho_B=\operatorname{Tr}_A\rho_{AB}$. Its <quantum mutual information> is
$$
S(A:B)=S(\rho_A)+S(\rho_B)-S(\rho_{AB}),
$$
where $S(\tau)=-\operatorname{Tr}\tau\log_2\tau$ is the <Von Neumann entropy>. The support of $\rho_{AB}$ lies in $\operatorname{supp}\rho_A\otimes\operatorname{supp}\rho_B$. To justify this when marginals are singular, let $Q_A$ project onto $\ker\rho_A$. Then $\operatorname{Tr}[(Q_A\otimes I)\rho_{AB}]=\operatorname{Tr}(Q_A\rho_A)=0$; positivity implies $(Q_A\otimes I)\rho_{AB}=0$. Applying the same argument on $B$ proves the claimed support inclusion.

On that support, product eigenvectors show
$$
\log_2(\rho_A\otimes\rho_B)=\log_2\rho_A\otimes I+I\otimes\log_2\rho_B.
$$
The definition of the <partial trace> therefore gives
$$
\begin{aligned}
S(\rho_{AB}\|\rho_A\otimes\rho_B)
&=\operatorname{Tr}\rho_{AB}\log_2\rho_{AB}
-\operatorname{Tr}\rho_A\log_2\rho_A
-\operatorname{Tr}\rho_B\log_2\rho_B\\
&=S(\rho_A)+S(\rho_B)-S(\rho_{AB}).
\end{aligned}
$$
Consequently $\boxed{S(A:B)=S(\rho_{AB}\|\rho_A\otimes\rho_B)}$.

For completeness, <nonnegativity of quantum relative entropy> also follows from the classical proof above. Diagonalize $\rho$ in a basis $|j\rangle$, with <eigenvalues> $r_j$, and put $q_j=\langle j|\sigma|j\rangle$. These are two classical <probability distributions>. Scalar concavity of the logarithm applied to the spectral weights of $\sigma$ gives $\langle j|\log_2\sigma|j\rangle\leq\log_2q_j$ whenever $r_j>0$ and support inclusion holds. Hence
$$
S(\rho\|\sigma)\geq\sum_{j:r_j>0}r_j\log_2\frac{r_j}{q_j}=D(r\|q)\geq0.
$$
The support-failure case is again infinite. Applying this to the product of the marginals proves $\boxed{S(A:B)\geq0}$ without requiring an additional entropy inequality.