ArXiv

Lean-QIT: Towards a Formal Infrastructure for Quantum Information Theory

Authors
Chengkai Zhu, Ziao Tang, Guocheng Zhen...
Categories
quant-ph, cs.AI
arXiv
https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.09632v1
PDF
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.09632v1

Brief

LeanQIT is a Lean 4 library for finite-dimensional quantum information theory that supplies kernel-checked, composable interfaces for quantum states, channels, codes, finite-block performance, hypothesis testing, one-shot quantities, and asymptotic rate constructions. The authors formalized Schumacher source coding, the HSW classical-capacity theorem, and the entanglement-assisted classical-capacity theorem with a strong converse, aiming to provide reusable operational foundations for AI-assisted formalization and automated proof search.

Why it matters

LeanQIT is a Lean 4 library for finite-dimensional quantum information theory that provides kernel-checked, composable interfaces for quantum states, channels, source and channel codes, finite-block performance criteria, hypothesis testing, one-shot quantities, and asymptotic rate constructions.

Key details

  • The authors machine-checked formalizations of Schumacher's quantum source-coding theorem, the Holevo–Schumacher–Westmoreland (HSW) classical-capacity theorem, and the entanglement-assisted classical-capacity theorem including its strong converse.
  • The library separates operational definitions from analytic characterizations to expose reusable achievability, converse, and asymptotic components, creating a machine-readable foundation intended to support AI-assisted formalization, automated proof search, and agentic reasoning in QIT.
Source evidence

Abstract

Quantum information theory (QIT) characterizes the capabilities and fundamental limits of quantum information processing, underpinning quantum communication, computation, and error correction. Formalizing its coding theorems requires connecting finite-block protocols, analytic inequalities, and asymptotic limits within a unified machine-checked framework. Existing developments, however, lack a reusable operational layer that defines codes, error criteria, achievable rates, and capacities independently of their information-theoretic characterizations. In this work, we present LeanQIT, a Lean 4 library for finite-dimensional QIT. It provides composable, kernel-checked interfaces for quantum states and channels, source and channel codes, finite-block performance criteria, hypothesis testing, one-shot quantities, and asymptotic rate constructions. Using this infrastructure, we formalize Schumacher's quantum source-coding theorem, the Holevo--Schumacher--Westmoreland classical-capacity theorem, and the entanglement-assisted classical-capacity theorem together with its strong converse. By separating operational definitions from analytic characterizations and exposing reusable achievability, converse, and asymptotic components, Lean-QIT provides a machine-readable foundation for formal QIT and a compositional knowledge substrate for emerging AI-assisted formalization, automated proof search, and agentic reasoning in quantum information and computation.

Comment: 24+5 pages, 3 figures