Physlib

PhyslibAlpha.AlgebraicFramework.StarAlgebra.Jordan

Jordan algebra structure on self-adjoint elements

Quantum observables live in `selfAdjoint A` for `A` the (typically non-commutative) algebra of bounded operators, but the raw associative product `a * b` of two self-adjoint elements is generally not self-adjoint itself — `star (a * b) = b * a`, which equals `a * b` only when `a` and `b` commute. What survives is the *symmetrized* product a∘b:=a∗b+b∗a, a \circ b := a * b + b * a, the anticommutator. It is self-adjoint for any self-adjoint `a`, `b` (commuting or not), it is manifestly commutative, and — the substantive fact — it satisfies the Jordan identity, the weak associativity law that lets one recover much of the algebraic structure of quantum mechanics (spectral theory, order, the observable ladder in `OVERVIEW.md`) without ever multiplying two non-commuting observables together. This is the historically earlier (Jordan–von Neumann–Wigner, 1934) route to the same territory that full associative multiplication reaches, and the more minimal one: it only ever uses the symmetric product.

Mathlib already has the abstract axioms for this in `Mathlib.Algebra.Jordan.Basic` (`IsJordan`/`IsCommJordan`, stated for a bare `Mul` satisfying the Jordan axioms) together with their canonical source of examples, `SymAlg` (`Mathlib.Algebra.Symmetrized`): symmetrizing the product of any associative ring by `a ↦ ½(ab + ba)` makes it a commutative Jordan ring, *provided* `2` is invertible. We instead use the unscaled anticommutator `a * b + b * a`, which needs no such hypothesis and — since the Jordan identity is homogeneous in `∘`, so invariant under a global rescaling of the product — satisfies exactly the same axioms.

We do not give `selfAdjoint A` a plain top-level `Mul` instance for this product: when `A` is commutative, mathlib already equips `selfAdjoint A` with the *ordinary* product (`selfAdjoint`'s `NonUnitalCommRing` instance), and `a ∘ b = 2 * (a * b) ≠ a * b` there in general, so a global instance would silently create a diamond. Instead the `Mul`/`CommMagma`/`IsCommJordan` instances below are `scoped` to the `selfAdjoint` namespace: `open scoped selfAdjoint` (or `open selfAdjoint`) opts in to them exactly where the Jordan product, rather than the ordinary one, is wanted.

Main definitions

- `selfAdjoint.jordanMul` : the anticommutator `a * b + b * a`, landing back in `selfAdjoint A`. - `selfAdjoint.jordanMul_comm` : the Jordan product is commutative. - `selfAdjoint.jordanMul_add_left`/`jordanMul_add_right` : the Jordan product distributes over `+`. - `selfAdjoint.instMul`/`instCommMagma`/`instIsCommJordan` (all `scoped`) : the Jordan product makes `selfAdjoint A` a commutative Jordan ring in mathlib's sense. - `Observable.jordanMul` : the same product, spelled for `Observable A := selfAdjoint A`.

21 declarations

definition

Jordan product a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba of self-adjoint elements

For an algebra AA with a star-involution, the Jordan product (or anticommutator) of two self-adjoint elements a,b∈Aa, b \in A is defined as a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba. This operation maps a pair of self-adjoint elements to another self-adjoint element.

theorem

The Jordan product a∘ba \circ b equals ab+baab + ba in AA

Let AA be an algebra with a star-involution. For any two self-adjoint elements a,b∈selfAdjoint(A)a, b \in \text{selfAdjoint}(A), the Jordan product a∘ba \circ b is equal to the anticommutator ab+baab + ba when evaluated in the underlying algebra AA.

theorem

The Jordan product is commutative, a∘b=b∘aa \circ b = b \circ a

For any self-adjoint elements aa and bb in a star-algebra AA, the Jordan product (or anticommutator), defined as a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba, is commutative, such that a∘b=b∘aa \circ b = b \circ a.

theorem

Right distributivity of the Jordan product: a∘(b+c)=a∘b+a∘ca \circ (b + c) = a \circ b + a \circ c

Let AA be an algebra with a star-involution. For any self-adjoint elements a,b,c∈selfAdjoint(A)a, b, c \in \text{selfAdjoint}(A), the Jordan product x∘y=xy+yxx \circ y = xy + yx distributes over addition in its right argument: a∘(b+c)=a∘b+a∘c a \circ (b + c) = a \circ b + a \circ c

theorem

Left distributivity of the Jordan product: (a+b)∘c=a∘c+b∘c(a + b) \circ c = a \circ c + b \circ c

Let AA be an algebra with a star-involution. For any self-adjoint elements a,b,c∈Aa, b, c \in A, the Jordan product (or anticommutator) defined by x∘y=xy+yxx \circ y = xy + yx distributes over addition in its left argument: (a+b)∘c=(a∘c)+(b∘c) (a + b) \circ c = (a \circ c) + (b \circ c)

theorem

Jordan Identity: (a∘b)∘(a∘a)=a∘(b∘(a∘a))(a \circ b) \circ (a \circ a) = a \circ (b \circ (a \circ a))

Let AA be an associative algebra equipped with a star-involution, and let a,b∈Aa, b \in A be self-adjoint elements. Let a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba denote the Jordan product (or anticommutator) of two elements. Then the Jordan identity holds: (a∘b)∘(a∘a)=a∘(b∘(a∘a)).(a \circ b) \circ (a \circ a) = a \circ (b \circ (a \circ a)). This identity expresses a form of weak associativity, specifically that the operators of Jordan-multiplication by aa and by a∘aa \circ a commute.

instance

Jordan multiplication on selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A)

This instance defines the multiplication operator ∗* on the set of self-adjoint elements selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) of an algebra AA. The product of two self-adjoint elements a,b∈selfAdjoint(A)a, b \in \text{selfAdjoint}(A) is given by the Jordan product (anticommutator), defined as a∗b=ab+baa * b = ab + ba. This multiplication is provided as a scoped instance to avoid conflict with the standard associative product in cases where AA is commutative.

theorem

Definition of Multiplication on selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) as the Jordan Product a∗b=ab+baa * b = ab + ba

For any two self-adjoint elements aa and bb of an algebra AA, the product a∗ba * b (under the Jordan multiplication instance) is equal to the Jordan product (anticommutator) a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba.

instance

Commutative magma structure on selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) under the Jordan product

This instance equips the set of self-adjoint elements selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) of a star-ring AA with the structure of a commutative magma. The multiplication operation used is the Jordan product (anticommutator), defined as a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba, which is shown to be commutative (a∘b=b∘aa \circ b = b \circ a).

instance

selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) is a Commutative Jordan Ring under the Jordan Product

For a star-ring AA, the set of self-adjoint elements selfAdjoint(A)={a∈A∣a∗=a}\text{selfAdjoint}(A) = \{a \in A \mid a^* = a\}, equipped with the Jordan product (anticommutator) defined as a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba, satisfies the axioms of a commutative Jordan ring. This means the operation is commutative (a∘b=b∘aa \circ b = b \circ a) and satisfies the Jordan identity (a2∘b)∘a=a2∘(b∘a)(a^2 \circ b) \circ a = a^2 \circ (b \circ a) for all a,b∈selfAdjoint(A)a, b \in \text{selfAdjoint}(A).

abbrev

Jordan product a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba of observables

For a star-ring AA, let Observable A\text{Observable } A denote the type of self-adjoint elements (where a∗=aa^* = a). The Jordan product of two observables a,b∈Observable Aa, b \in \text{Observable } A is defined as the anticommutator a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba. This operation maps a pair of observables to another observable.

theorem

The Jordan product of self-adjoint elements is the normalized anticommutator 12(ab+ba)\frac{1}{2}(ab + ba)

Let AA be a star-algebra over R\mathbb{R}. For any self-adjoint elements aa and bb in AA, the Jordan product a∗ba * b (as defined in the `selfAdjoint` namespace) corresponds to the normalized anticommutator in the ambient algebra AA: (a∗b)A=12(ab+ba) (a * b)_A = \frac{1}{2}(ab + ba) where the products on the right-hand side are the standard associative multiplications in AA.

theorem

(c⋅a)∘b=c⋅(a∘b)(c \cdot a) \circ b = c \cdot (a \circ b) for the Jordan product

Let AA be a star-algebra over R\mathbb{R}. For any real scalar c∈Rc \in \mathbb{R} and any self-adjoint elements a,b∈Aa, b \in A, the Jordan product (anticommutator) a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba satisfies the property that the scalar can be pulled out of the left argument: (c⋅a)∘b=c⋅(a∘b)(c \cdot a) \circ b = c \cdot (a \circ b).

theorem

Scalar linearity of the Jordan product in the second argument: a∘(c⋅b)=c⋅(a∘b)a \circ (c \cdot b) = c \cdot (a \circ b)

Let AA be an algebra over R\mathbb{R}. For any self-adjoint elements a,ba, b in AA and any real scalar cc, the Jordan product a∘ba \circ b satisfies the property that the scalar can be factored out of the second argument: a∘(c⋅b)=c⋅(a∘b)a \circ (c \cdot b) = c \cdot (a \circ b).

theorem

a∘(b∘x)=14{a,{b,x}}a \circ (b \circ x) = \frac{1}{4} \{a, \{b, x\}\}

Let AA be an algebra over R\mathbb{R} with a star-involution. For any self-adjoint elements a,b,x∈Aa, b, x \in A, the right-nested Jordan product a∘(b∘x)a \circ (b \circ x) is related to the unnormalized anticommutator {u,v}=uv+vu\{u, v\} = uv + vu by the identity a∘(b∘x)=14{a,{b,x}} a \circ (b \circ x) = \frac{1}{4} \{a, \{b, x\}\} where u∘v=12(uv+vu)u \circ v = \frac{1}{2}(uv + vu) denotes the normalized Jordan product.

theorem

a∘0=0a \circ 0 = 0 for the Jordan product of self-adjoint elements

For any self-adjoint element aa of an algebra AA with a star-involution, the Jordan product of aa with 00 is 00, denoted as a∘0=0a \circ 0 = 0. Here, the Jordan product is defined as the anticommutator a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba.

instance

selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) as a non-unital non-associative commutative ring

The set of self-adjoint elements selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) of a star-algebra AA carries the structure of a non-unital, non-associative, commutative ring. Under this structure, addition is the standard addition in AA, and multiplication is defined by the Jordan product (anticommutator) a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba. This product is commutative and distributes over addition, though it is not generally associative.

instance

selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) as a non-associative ring

The set of self-adjoint elements selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) of a star-algebra AA is equipped with the structure of a non-associative ring. In this structure, addition is the standard addition inherited from AA, and multiplication is defined by the Jordan product (anticommutator) a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba. This ring structure includes an additive identity 00, additive inverses, and a multiplicative identity 11 such that 1∘a=a1 \circ a = a for all a∈selfAdjoint(A)a \in \text{selfAdjoint}(A), though the multiplication is not generally associative.

instance

selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) is a unital commutative non-associative ring under the Jordan product

The set of self-adjoint elements selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A) of a star-algebra AA is equipped with the structure of a unital, commutative, non-associative ring. Under this structure, the addition and the multiplicative identity 11 are inherited from AA, and the multiplication is defined by the Jordan product (anticommutator) a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba. This product is commutative and distributive over addition, but it is not generally associative.

instance

Real Scalar Multiplication Commutes with Jordan Product in selfAdjoint(A)\text{selfAdjoint}(A)

For any real number r∈Rr \in \mathbb{R} and any two self-adjoint elements a,b∈selfAdjoint(A)a, b \in \text{selfAdjoint}(A), the scalar multiplication by rr commutes with the Jordan product a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba. Specifically, the identity r⋅(a∘b)=a∘(r⋅b)r \cdot (a \circ b) = a \circ (r \cdot b) holds.

instance

Real Scalar Tower for the Jordan Product: (r⋅a)∘b=r⋅(a∘b)(r \cdot a) \circ b = r \cdot (a \circ b)

Let AA be an algebra over R\mathbb{R}. For any real scalar r∈Rr \in \mathbb{R} and any self-adjoint elements a,b∈selfAdjoint(A)a, b \in \text{selfAdjoint}(A), the real scalar multiplication satisfies the scalar tower property with respect to the Jordan product (the anticommutator a∘b=ab+baa \circ b = ab + ba): (r⋅a)∘b=r⋅(a∘b). (r \cdot a) \circ b = r \cdot (a \circ b).