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Main Authors: Matheus, Santiago, Bottacin, Francesco, Provenzi, Edoardo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11221
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author Matheus, Santiago
Bottacin, Francesco
Provenzi, Edoardo
author_facet Matheus, Santiago
Bottacin, Francesco
Provenzi, Edoardo
contents We revisit the monotonicity of relative entropy under the action of quantum channels, a foundational result in quantum information theory. Among the several available proofs, we focus on those by Petz and Uhlmann, which we reformulate within a unified, finite-dimensional operator-theoretic framework. In the first part, we examine Petz's strategy, identify a subtle flaw in his original use of Jensen's contractive operator inequality, and point out how it was corrected to restore the validity of his line of reasoning. In the second part, we develop Uhlmann's approach, which is based on interpolations of positive sesquilinear forms and applies automatically also to non-invertible density operators. By comparing these two approaches, we highlight their complementary strengths: Petz's method is more direct and clear, Uhlmann's is more abstract and general. Our treatment aims to clarify the mathematical structure underlying the monotonicity of relative entropy and to make these proofs more accessible to a broader audience interested in both the foundations and the applications of quantum information theory.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_11221
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the Monotonicity of relative entropy: A Comparative Study of Petz's and Uhlmann's Approaches
Matheus, Santiago
Bottacin, Francesco
Provenzi, Edoardo
Quantum Physics
Mathematical Physics
We revisit the monotonicity of relative entropy under the action of quantum channels, a foundational result in quantum information theory. Among the several available proofs, we focus on those by Petz and Uhlmann, which we reformulate within a unified, finite-dimensional operator-theoretic framework. In the first part, we examine Petz's strategy, identify a subtle flaw in his original use of Jensen's contractive operator inequality, and point out how it was corrected to restore the validity of his line of reasoning. In the second part, we develop Uhlmann's approach, which is based on interpolations of positive sesquilinear forms and applies automatically also to non-invertible density operators. By comparing these two approaches, we highlight their complementary strengths: Petz's method is more direct and clear, Uhlmann's is more abstract and general. Our treatment aims to clarify the mathematical structure underlying the monotonicity of relative entropy and to make these proofs more accessible to a broader audience interested in both the foundations and the applications of quantum information theory.
title On the Monotonicity of relative entropy: A Comparative Study of Petz's and Uhlmann's Approaches
topic Quantum Physics
Mathematical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.11221