Reasoning about quantum systems at the macroscopic level

Abstract

In this didactical note I review in depth the rationale for using generalised canonical distributions in quantum statistics. Particular attention is paid to the proper definitions of quantum entropy and quantum relative entropy, as well as to quantum state reconstruction on the basis of incomplete data. There are two appendices in which I outline how generalised canonical distributions link to the conventional formulation of statistical mechanics, and how classical probability calculus emerges at the macroscopic level.

31 pages

References in corpus (10)

• The Role of Relative Entropy in Quantum Information Theory
• Quantum probabilities as Bayesian probabilities
• Unknown Quantum States: The Quantum de Finetti Representation
• Statistical Inference, Distinguishability of Quantum States, And Quantum Entanglement
• Quantum Bayes rule
• From Reversible Quantum Microdynamics to Irreversible Quantum Transport
• On quantum vs. classical probability
• Quantum State Reconstruction From Incomplete Data
• On non-completely positive quantum dynamical maps on spin chains
• Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell