12 research outputs found
Primitive Words, Free Factors and Measure Preservation
Let F_k be the free group on k generators. A word w \in F_k is called
primitive if it belongs to some basis of F_k. We investigate two criteria for
primitivity, and consider more generally, subgroups of F_k which are free
factors.
The first criterion is graph-theoretic and uses Stallings core graphs: given
subgroups of finite rank H \le J \le F_k we present a simple procedure to
determine whether H is a free factor of J. This yields, in particular, a
procedure to determine whether a given element in F_k is primitive.
Again let w \in F_k and consider the word map w:G x G x ... x G \to G (from
the direct product of k copies of G to G), where G is an arbitrary finite
group. We call w measure preserving if given uniform measure on G x G x ... x
G, w induces uniform measure on G (for every finite G). This is the second
criterion we investigate: it is not hard to see that primitivity implies
measure preservation and it was conjectured that the two properties are
equivalent. Our combinatorial approach to primitivity allows us to make
progress on this problem and in particular prove the conjecture for k=2.
It was asked whether the primitive elements of F_k form a closed set in the
profinite topology of free groups. Our results provide a positive answer for
F_2.Comment: This is a unified version of two manuscripts: "On Primitive words I:
A New Algorithm", and "On Primitive Words II: Measure Preservation". 42
pages, 14 figures. Some parts of the paper reorganized towards publication in
the Israel J. of Mat
Highly symmetric POVMs and their informational power
We discuss the dependence of the Shannon entropy of normalized finite rank-1
POVMs on the choice of the input state, looking for the states that minimize
this quantity. To distinguish the class of measurements where the problem can
be solved analytically, we introduce the notion of highly symmetric POVMs and
classify them in dimension two (for qubits). In this case we prove that the
entropy is minimal, and hence the relative entropy (informational power) is
maximal, if and only if the input state is orthogonal to one of the states
constituting a POVM. The method used in the proof, employing the Michel theory
of critical points for group action, the Hermite interpolation and the
structure of invariant polynomials for unitary-antiunitary groups, can also be
applied in higher dimensions and for other entropy-like functions. The links
between entropy minimization and entropic uncertainty relations, the Wehrl
entropy and the quantum dynamical entropy are described.Comment: 40 pages, 3 figure