Extending Resource Monotones using Kan Extensions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a categorical framework using Kan extensions to generalize the extension of resource monotones across different resource theories, broadening the scope beyond full and faithful embeddings.

Contribution

It develops a novel categorical approach employing Kan extensions and partitioned categories to systematically extend resource monotones between theories.

Findings

Kan extensions precisely describe monotone extensions

Framework applies to entanglement, divergences, and non-uniformity monotones

Extends classical concepts to quantum resource theories

Abstract

In this paper we generalize the framework proposed by Gour and Tomamichel regarding extensions of monotones for resource theories. A monotone for a resource theory assigns a real number to each resource in the theory signifying the utility or the value of the resource. Gour and Tomamichel studied the problem of extending monotones using set-theoretical framework when a resource theory embeds fully and faithfully into the larger theory. One can generalize the problem of computing monotone extensions to scenarios when there exists a functorial transformation of one resource theory to another instead of just a full and faithful inclusion. In this article, we show that (point-wise) Kan extensions provide a precise categorical framework to describe and compute such extensions of monotones. To set up monotone extensions using Kan extensions, we introduce partitioned categories (pCat)as a framework for resource theories and pCat functors to formalize relationship between resource theories. We describe monotones as pCat functors into the preorder of non-negative real numbers, and describe extending monotones along any pCat functor using Kan extensions. We show how our framework works by applying it to extend entanglement monotones for bipartite pure states to bipartite mixed states, to extend classical divergences to the quantum setting, and to extend a non-uniformity monotone from classical probabilistic theory to quantum theory.