Conditionally positive-definite functions in quantum probability theory (Q1814450)

This is a survey article on the theory of (conditionally) positive definite functions with values in the space of bounded linear maps on \(C^*\)-algebras developed mainly by the author. This theory unifies such different topics like the classical results of Schoenberg on positive definite complex-valued functions on groups, Lévy-Khinchin formula in probability and the Lindblad characterization of one-parameter completely positive semigroups on \(C^*\)-algebras. In the first part of the paper general functional-analytical results are presented. In particular, the canonical representation of positive definite functions is given in terms of a certain GNS construction, and the formulae of Lévy-Khinchin type are derived. The second part of the article is devoted to the theory of continuous measurements in quantum mechanics studied within the framework developed in the first part. The main result is the formulation of the conditions under which the sequence of consecutive single measurements converges to the process of continuous measurement. This may be treated as a generalization of classical functional limit theorems on convergence of sums of independent random variables.