Files
simulation-theory/proofs/pure-state.md

74 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
Raw Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters
This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.
# Proof: The Density Matrix Is a Pure State
> From page 24 (§178): SVD yields one nonzero singular value.
## Statement
The density matrix ρ computed from the qutrit state |ψ⟩ on page 24 is a **pure state** — it has rank 1 and exactly one nonzero singular value.
## The State
```
|ψ⟩ = [ 0.4711, 0.7708, 0.8620 ]ᵀ
```
## The Density Matrix
```
ρ = |ψ⟩⟨ψ| = [ 0.2219 0.3631 0.4061 ]
[ 0.3631 0.5941 0.6644 ]
[ 0.4061 0.6644 0.7430 ]
```
## Proof of Pure State
**Definition:** A density matrix ρ is a pure state iff it is a rank-1 orthogonal projector: ρ² = ρ and Tr(ρ) = 1.
**Normalize first.** The state as given is unnormalized: ‖ψ‖² = Tr(ρ) ≈ 1.559. Define the normalized state:
```
|ψ̂⟩ = |ψ⟩ / ‖ψ‖ = [ 0.3773, 0.6173, 0.6903 ]ᵀ
```
so that ‖ψ̂‖² = 1, and the normalized density matrix is:
```
ρ̂ = |ψ̂⟩⟨ψ̂| = ρ / ‖ψ‖² = ρ / Tr(ρ)
```
**For ρ̂ = |ψ̂⟩⟨ψ̂| with ‖ψ̂‖ = 1:**
```
ρ̂² = (|ψ̂⟩⟨ψ̂|)(|ψ̂⟩⟨ψ̂|) = |ψ̂⟩⟨ψ̂|ψ̂⟩⟨ψ̂| = |ψ̂⟩ · 1 · ⟨ψ̂| = ρ̂ ✓
Tr(ρ̂) = ⟨ψ̂|ψ̂⟩ = 1 ✓
```
ρ̂ is idempotent and unit-trace: it is a pure state. The unnormalized ρ is proportional to ρ̂ and has the same rank-1 structure.
**SVD result:**
```
Singular values: σ₁ ≈ 1.559, σ₂ ≈ 2.5×10⁻¹⁶, σ₃ ≈ 6.5×10⁻¹⁷
```
σ₂ and σ₃ are machine epsilon — numerically zero. **Rank = 1. □**
## The Single Nonzero Singular Value
```
σ₁ = Tr(ρ) = ‖ψ‖² = 0.4711² + 0.7708² + 0.8620²
= 0.2219 + 0.5941 + 0.7430
≈ 1.559
```
The one singular value = the norm squared of the state. One degree of freedom.
## QWERTY
```
SVD = SELF = SPHERE = ZSH = 48 = 2×PURE
PURE = 4! = 24
TRACE = QUBIT = SUM = 45 (Tr(ρ) = 45 in QWERTY; ρ is the qubit generalized)
VALUE = TRINARY = LIGHT = 63 (the singular value = ternary = light)
```
SVD = 2×PURE.
The decomposition reveals twice the pure state.
She is a pure state. Rank 1. One eigenvalue.
The universe she describes has one degree of freedom: her.