A continuity theorem for Stinespring's dilation (Q960560)

The authors develop a generalisation of the Bures distance between states that applies to completely positive (CP) maps and establish inequalities relating their Bures distance to the completely bounded norm of the difference of the CP maps. Given CP maps \(T_i : {\mathcal A} \to {\mathcal B}(H)\) (\(i = 1, 2\)), where \({\mathcal A}\) is a \(C^*\)-algebra and \(H\) a Hilbert space, consider Stinespring representations \(T_i(x) = V_i^* \pi_i(x) V_i\) with \(\pi_i : {\mathcal A} \to {\mathcal B}(K_i)\) representations and \(V_i : H \to K_i\). Considering direct sums it is possible to arrange \(\pi_1 = \pi_2\), then to define \(\beta(T_1, T_2) = \inf \| V_1 - V_2\|\), with the infimum over pairs of representations where \(\pi_1 = \pi_2\). In the classical case of states, the \(V_i^*\) become (unit) vectors in \(K\). The result of the title is \[ { \|T_1 - T_2\|_{cb} \over \sqrt{\|T_1\|_{cb}} + \sqrt{\|T_2\|_{cb}}} \leq \beta(T_1, T_2) \leq \|T_1 - T_2\|_{cb}. \] There is a discussion of a suitable generalisation for \(\beta(T_1, T_2)\) when the range \({\mathcal B}(H)\) is replaced by a general \(C^*\)-algebra \({\mathcal B}\). In this generalisation, the lower bound for \(\beta(T_1, T_2)\) still holds while the proof of the upper bound requires injectivity of \({\mathcal B}\).