Partial trace and the reduced density matrix

In summary, the trace paradox is resolved by understanding that the partial trace is not cyclic and cannot always be treated like a regular trace.
  • #1
yucheng
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TL;DR Summary
Trace paradox?
From Rand Lectures on Light, we have, in the interaction picture, the equation of motion of the reduced density matrix:
$$i \hbar \rho \dot_A (t) = Tr_B[V(t), \rho_{AB}(t)] = \Sigma_b \langle \phi_b | V \rho_{AB} -\rho_{AB} V | \phi_b \rangle = \Sigma_b \phi_b | \langle V \rho_{AB} | \phi_b \rangle - \langle \phi_b| \rho_{AB} V | \phi_b \rangle = Tr_B(V \rho_AB) - Tr_B(\rho_AB V) = 0???$$
 
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  • #2
yucheng said:
TL;DR Summary: Trace paradox?
I have corrected your LaTeX formula to make it readable and meaningful:
$$i \hbar \dot{\rho}_A (t) = Tr_B[V(t), \rho_{AB}(t)] = \Sigma_b \langle \phi_b | V \rho_{AB} -\rho_{AB} V | \phi_b \rangle $$
$$= \Sigma_b \langle\phi_b | V \rho_{AB} | \phi_b \rangle - \langle \phi_b| \rho_{AB} V | \phi_b \rangle = Tr_B(V \rho_{AB}) - Tr_B(\rho_{AB} V) = 0???$$
 
  • #4
By the way, there is also another instructive trace paradox. Since ##[x,p]=i\hbar 1##, we have
$${\rm Tr} [x,p] ={\rm Tr}(i\hbar 1)=i\hbar {\rm Tr}1=i\hbar\infty$$
but also
$${\rm Tr} [x,p] ={\rm Tr} (xp) - {\rm Tr} (px) =0$$
so
$$0=i\hbar\infty$$
Can you resolve this one? :wink:

Hint: The solution of this paradox is entirely unrelated to the solution of the previous one. The key is to understand the meaning of ##{\rm Tr}1=\infty##, can we pretend that it is actually a big but finite number?
 
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  • #5
@Demystifier
OMG I did not even realize it was published! I thought I just left it as a draft, but thanks for replying!

After doing some other problems, I realized that a partial trace is defined for a composite Hilbert space, which means that taking the trace with respect to the ##| b \rangle## basis breaks the common argument for commutation under the trace i,e, using the resolution of the identity because we have ##\Sigma \langle b' |\rho_{AB}| a,b \rangle \langle a,b| V |b' \rangle## instead.
 
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FAQ: Partial trace and the reduced density matrix

1. What is the partial trace operation?

The partial trace operation is a mathematical operation used in quantum mechanics to trace out or eliminate certain degrees of freedom from a larger quantum system. It is used to obtain the reduced density matrix, which contains information about the remaining degrees of freedom after tracing out the unwanted ones.

2. How is the partial trace operation performed?

The partial trace operation is performed by taking the trace of the tensor product of the density matrix of the larger system and the identity matrix of the degrees of freedom to be traced out. This results in a reduced density matrix that contains only the information about the remaining degrees of freedom.

3. What is the significance of the partial trace operation?

The partial trace operation is significant in quantum mechanics as it allows us to study a smaller subsystem of a larger quantum system. This is useful in situations where we are only interested in a specific part of the system and want to simplify the calculations by eliminating unnecessary degrees of freedom.

4. Can the partial trace operation be reversed?

No, the partial trace operation is not reversible. This is because when we trace out certain degrees of freedom, we lose information about them. Therefore, it is not possible to reconstruct the original density matrix from the reduced density matrix obtained through the partial trace operation.

5. What are some applications of the partial trace operation?

The partial trace operation has various applications in quantum information processing, such as quantum state tomography, quantum error correction, and quantum entanglement. It is also used in quantum thermodynamics to study the behavior of open quantum systems and in quantum field theory to study the entanglement between different regions of space.

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