Generalized Nonadditive Information Theory and Quantum Entanglement

Abstract

Nonadditive classical information theory is developed in the axiomatic framework and then translated into quantum theory. The nonadditive conditional entropy associated with the Tsallis entropy indexed by q is given in accordance with the formalism of nonextensive statistical mechanics. The theory is applied to the problems of quantum entanglement and separability of the Werner-Popescu-type mixed state of a multipartite system, in order to examine if it has any points superior to the additive theory with the von Neumann entropy realized in the limit q → 1. It is shown that the nonadditive theory can lead to the necessary and sufficient condition for separability of the Werner-Popescu-type state, whereas the von Neumann theory can give only a much weaker condition…. Tsallis' nonextensive generalization of Boltzmann-Gibbs statistical mechanics [3, 15, 16] and its success in describing behaviors of a large class of complex systems naturally lead to the question of whether information theory can also admit an analogous generalization. If the answer is affirmative, then that will be of particular importance in connection with the problem of quantum entanglement and quantum theory of measurement [6, 8], in which necessities of a nonadditive information measure and an information content are suggested. One should also remember that there exists a conceptual similarity between a complex system and an entangled quantum system. In these systems, a "part" is indivisibly connected with the rest. An external operation on any part drastically influences the whole system, in general. Thus, the traditional reductionistic approach to an understanding of the nature of such a system may not work efficiently. In this chapter, we report a recent development in nonadditive quantum information theory based on the Tsallis entropy indexed by q [15] and its associated nonadditive conditional entropy [1]. This theory includes the ordinary additive theory with the von Neumann entropy in a special limiting case: q → To see if it has points superior to the additive theory, we apply it to the problems of separability and quantum entanglement.