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The rather unintuitive nature of quantum theory has led numerous people to develop sets of (physically motivated) principles that can be used to derive quantum mechanics from the ground up, in order to better understand where the structure of quantum systems comes from. From a computer scientist's perspective we would like to study quantum theory in a way that allows interesting transformations and compositions of systems and that also includes infinite-dimensional datatypes. Here we present such a compositional reconstruction of quantum theory that includes infinite-dimensional systems. This reconstruction is noteworthy for three reasons: it is only one of a few that includes no restrictions on the dimension of a system; it allows for both classical, quantum, and mixed systems; and it makes no a priori reference to the structure of the real (or complex) numbers. This last point is possible because we frame our results in the language of category theory, specifically the categorical framework of effectus theory., Comment: 42 pages

A sequential effect algebra (SEA) is an effect algebra equipped with a sequential product operation modeled after the L\"uders product $(a,b)\mapsto \sqrt{a}b\sqrt{a}$ on C*-algebras. A SEA is called normal when it has all suprema of directed sets, and the sequential product interacts suitably with these suprema. The effects on a Hilbert space and the unit interval of a von Neumann or JBW algebra are examples of normal SEAs that are in addition convex, i.e. possess a suitable action of the real unit interval on the algebra. Complete Boolean algebras form normal SEAs too, which are convex only when $0=1$. We show that any normal SEA $E$ splits as a direct sum $E\equiv E_b\oplus E_c \oplus E_{ac}$ of a complete Boolean algebra $E_b$, a convex normal SEA $E_c$, and a newly identified type of normal SEA $E_{ac}$ we dub purely almost-convex. Along the way we show, among other things, that a SEA which contains only idempotents must be a Boolean algebra; and we establish a spectral theorem using which we settle for the class of normal SEAs a problem of Gudder regarding the uniqueness of square roots. After establishing our main result, we propose a simple extra axiom for normal SEAs that excludes the seemingly pathological a-convex SEAs. We conclude the paper by a study of SEAs with an associative sequential product. We find that associativity forces normal SEAs satisfying our new axiom to be commutative, shedding light on the question of why the sequential product in quantum theory should be non-associative., Comment: 20 pages. V2: Journal version with several textual improvements

Effectus theory is a relatively new approach to categorical logic that can be seen as an abstract form of generalized probabilistic theories (GPTs). While the scalars of a GPT are always the real unit interval [0,1], in an effectus they can form any effect monoid. Hence, there are quite exotic effectuses resulting from more pathological effect monoids. In this paper we introduce sigma-effectuses, where certain countable sums of morphisms are defined. We study in particular sigma-effectuses where unnormalized states can be normalized. We show that a non-trivial sigma-effectus with normalization has as scalars either the two-element effect monoid 0,1 or the real unit interval [0,1]. When states and/or predicates separate the morphisms we find that in the 0,1 case the category must embed into the category of sets and partial functions (and hence the category of Boolean algebras), showing that it implements a deterministic model, while in the [0,1] case we find it embeds into the category of Banach order-unit spaces and of Banach pre-base-norm spaces (satisfying additional properties), recovering the structure present in GPTs. Hence, from abstract categorical and operational considerations we find a dichotomy between deterministic and convex probabilistic models of physical theories., Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2020, arXiv:2109.01534

If a monad $T$ is monoidal, then operations on a set $X$ can be lifted canonically to operations on $TX$. In this paper we study structural properties under which $T$ preserves equations between those operations. It has already been shown that any monoidal monad preserves linear equations; affine monads preserve drop equations (where some variable appears only on one side, such as $x\cdot y = y$) and relevant monads preserve dup equations (where some variable is duplicated, such as $x \cdot x = x$). We start the paper by showing a converse: if the monad at hand preserves a drop equation, then it must be affine. From this, we show that the problem whether a given (drop) equation is preserved is undecidable. A converse for relevance turns out to be more subtle: preservation of certain dup equations implies a weaker notion which we call $n$-relevance. Finally, we identify the subclass of equations such that their preservation is equivalent to relevance.

In computer science, especially when dealing with quantum computing or other non-standard models of computation, basic notions in probability theory like "a predicate" vary wildly. There seems to be one constant: the only useful example of an algebra of probabilities is the real unit interval. In this paper we try to explain this phenomenon. We will show that the structure of the real unit interval naturally arises from a few reasonable assumptions. We do this by studying effect monoids, an abstraction of the algebraic structure of the real unit interval: it has an addition $x+y$ which is only defined when $x+y\leq 1$ and an involution $x\mapsto 1-x$ which make it an effect algebra, in combination with an associative (possibly non-commutative) multiplication. Examples include the unit intervals of ordered rings and Boolean algebras. We present a structure theory for effect monoids that are $\omega$-complete, i.e. where every increasing sequence has a supremum. We show that any $\omega$-complete effect monoid embeds into the direct sum of a Boolean algebra and the unit interval of a commutative unital C$^*$-algebra. This gives us from first principles a dichotomy between sharp logic, represented by the Boolean algebra part of the effect monoid, and probabilistic logic, represented by the commutative C$^*$-algebra. Some consequences of this characterisation are that the multiplication must always be commutative, and that the unique $\omega$-complete effect monoid without zero divisors and more than 2 elements must be the real unit interval. Our results give an algebraic characterisation and motivation for why any physical or logical theory would represent probabilities by real numbers., Comment: 12 pages. V2: Minor changes

When formulating universal properties for objects in a dagger category, one usually expects a universal property to characterize the universal object up to unique unitary isomorphism. We observe that this is automatically the case in the important special case of C$^*$-categories, provided that one uses enrichment in Banach spaces. We then formulate such a universal property for infinite direct sums in C$^*$-categories, and prove the equivalence with the existing definition due to Ghez, Lima and Roberts in the case of W$^*$-categories. These infinite direct sums specialize to the usual ones in the category of Hilbert spaces, and more generally in any W$^*$-category of normal representations of a W$^*$-algebra. Finding a universal property for the more general case of direct integrals remains an open problem., Comment: 11 pages

We propose a definition of purity for positive linear maps between Euclidean Jordan Algebras (EJA) that generalizes the notion of purity for quantum systems. We show that this definition of purity is closed under composition and taking adjoints and thus that the pure maps form a dagger category (which sets it apart from other possible definitions.) In fact, from the results presented in this paper, it follows that the category of EJAs with positive contractive linear maps is a dagger-effectus, a type of structure originally defined to study von Neumann algebras in an abstract categorical setting. In combination with previous work this characterizes EJAs as the most general systems allowed in a generalized probabilistic theory that is simultaneously a dagger-effectus. Using the dagger structure we get a notion of dagger-positive maps of the form f = g*g. We give a complete characterization of the pure dagger-positive maps and show that these correspond precisely to the Jordan algebraic version of the sequential product that maps (a,b) to sqrt(a) b sqrt(a). The notion of dagger-positivity therefore characterizes the sequential product., Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2018, arXiv:1901.09476

This doctoral thesis is a mathematical study of quantum computing, concentrating on two related, but independent topics. First up are dilations, covered in chapter 2. In chapter 3 "diamond, andthen, dagger" we turn to the second topic: effectus theory. Both chapters, or rather parts, can be read separately and feature a comprehensive introduction of their own.

In the Simply Typed $\lambda$-calculus Statman investigates the reducibility relation $\leq_{\beta\eta}$ between types: for $A,B \in \mathbb{T}^0$, types freely generated using $\rightarrow$ and a single ground type $0$, define $A \leq_{\beta\eta} B$ if there exists a $\lambda$-definable injection from the closed terms of type $A$ into those of type $B$. Unexpectedly, the induced partial order is the (linear) well-ordering (of order type) $\omega + 4$. In the proof a finer relation $\leq_{h}$ is used, where the above injection is required to be a B\"ohm transformation, and an (a posteriori) coarser relation $\leq_{h^+}$, requiring a finite family of B\"ohm transformations that is jointly injective. We present this result in a self-contained, syntactic, constructive and simplified manner. En route similar results for $\leq_h$ (order type $\omega + 5$) and $\leq_{h^+}$ (order type $8$) are obtained. Five of the equivalence classes of $\leq_{h^+}$ correspond to canonical term models of Statman, one to the trivial term model collapsing all elements of the same type, and one does not even form a model by the lack of closed terms of many types.

We provide a new way to bound the security of quantum key distribution using only two high-level, diagrammatic features of quantum processes: the compositional behavior of complementary measurements and the essential uniqueness of purification. We begin by demonstrating a proof in the simplest case, where the eavesdropper doesn't noticeably disturb the channel at all and has no quantum memory. We then show how this approach extends straightforwardly to account for an eavesdropper with quantum memory and the presence of noise., Comment: 10 pages, many string diagrams

In this note we prove Yosida duality --- that is: the category of compact Hausdorff spaces with continuous maps is dually equivalent to the category of uniformly complete Archimedean Riesz spaces with distinguished units and unit-preserving Riesz homomorphisms between them.

In 1973 Paschke defined a factorization for completely positive maps between C*-algebras. In this paper we show that for normal maps between von Neumann algebras, this factorization has a universal property, and coincides with Stinespring's dilation for normal maps into B(H)., Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2016, arXiv:1701.00242

We study the sequential product, the operation $p * q = \sqrt{p} q \sqrt{p}$ on the set of effects of a von Neumann algebra that represents sequential measurement of first $p$ and then $q$. We give four axioms which completely determine the sequential product.

Effectus theory is a new branch of categorical logic that aims to capture the essentials of quantum logic, with probabilistic and Boolean logic as special cases. Predicates in effectus theory are not subobjects having a Heyting algebra structure, like in topos theory, but `characteristic' functions, forming effect algebras. Such effect algebras are algebraic models of quantitative logic, in which double negation holds. Effects in quantum theory and fuzzy predicates in probability theory form examples of effect algebras. This text is an account of the basics of effectus theory. It includes the fundamental duality between states and effects, with the associated Born rule for validity of an effect (predicate) in a particular state. A basic result says that effectuses can be described equivalently in both `total' and `partial' form. So-called `commutative' and `Boolean' effectuses are distinguished, for probabilistic and classical models. It is shown how these Boolean effectuses are essentially extensive categories. A large part of the theory is devoted to the logical notions of comprehension and quotient, which are described abstractly as right adjoint to truth, and as left adjoint to falisity, respectively. It is illustrated how comprehension and quotients are closely related to measurement. The paper closes with a section on `non-commutative' effectus theory, where the appropriate formalisation is not entirely clear yet.

Quotients and comprehension are fundamental mathematical constructions that can be described via adjunctions in categorical logic. This paper reveals that quotients and comprehension are related to measurement, not only in quantum logic, but also in probabilistic and classical logic. This relation is presented by a long series of examples, some of them easy, and some also highly non-trivial (esp. for von Neumann algebras). We have not yet identified a unifying theory. Nevertheless, the paper contributes towards such a theory by introducing the new quotient-and-comprehension perspective on measurement instruments, and by describing the examples on which such a theory should be built., Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2015, arXiv:1511.01181

At the heart of the Conway-Kochen Free Will theorem and Kochen and Specker's argument against non-contextual hidden variable theories is the existence of a Kochen-Specker (KS) system: a set of points on the sphere that has no 0,1-coloring such that at most one of two orthogonal points are colored 1 and of three pairwise orthogonal points exactly one is colored 1. In public lectures, Conway encouraged the search for small KS systems. At the time of writing, the smallest known KS system has 31 vectors. Arends, Ouaknine and Wampler have shown that a KS system has at least 18 vectors, by reducing the problem to the existence of graphs with a topological embeddability and non-colorability property. The bottleneck in their search proved to be the sheer number of graphs on more than 17 vertices and deciding embeddability. Continuing their effort, we prove a restriction on the class of graphs we need to consider and develop a more practical decision procedure for embeddability to improve the lower bound to 22., Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2014, arXiv:1412.8102

It is well known that the C*-algebra of an ordered pair of qubits is M_2 (x) M_2. What about unordered pairs? We show in detail that M_3 (+) C is the C*-algebra of an unordered pair of qubits. Then we use Schur-Weyl duality to characterize the C*-algebra of an unordered n-tuple of d-level quantum systems. Using some further elementary representation theory and number theory, we characterize the quantum cycles. We finish with a characterization of the von Neumann algebra for unordered words., Comment: In Proceedings QPL 2015, arXiv:1511.01181

In this thesis, we will look at some known and some previously uninvestigated notions of effective undecidability. We try to discover how far we can stretch effective undecidability in the hope to get a more tractable solution to Post's problem, than that of Friedberg and Muchnik.