Diagonalize the source average , using its positive eigenvalues. For fixed , let project onto product eigenvectors whose eigenvalues obey
The typical subspace theorem states that, for every and all sufficiently large ,
The probability statement is the weak law of large numbers applied to ; the dimension bounds follow by summing the typical eigenvalue bounds. This explains why the quantum typical subspace retains almost all probability using about qubits.
For choose . Measure . On success, encode the projected state isometrically into a space of dimension ; on failure, output a separate fixed flag. Decode the successful sector by the inverse isometry, and map the flag to a fixed state . The compressed dimension is at most , hence fits within rate for all sufficiently large . Both maps are trace-preserving quantum channels, not merely successful postselected operations.
Writing , the composite channel is
For a pure source signal , set . Its squared quantum fidelity after the composite channel is at least . Since the source is memoryless, its average state on uses is . Convexity of the square gives
The Kraus formula for entanglement fidelity gives the same lower bound for , because one Kraus operator is and the other terms are nonnegative. Taking proves reliable compression at every , in both average pure-signal fidelity and the stronger entanglement-fidelity sense. This is typical-subspace compression with a failure flag.