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 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
Jordan product of self-adjoint elements
For an algebra with a star-involution, the Jordan product (or anticommutator) of two self-adjoint elements is defined as . This operation maps a pair of self-adjoint elements to another self-adjoint element.
The Jordan product equals in
Let be an algebra with a star-involution. For any two self-adjoint elements , the Jordan product is equal to the anticommutator when evaluated in the underlying algebra .
The Jordan product is commutative,
For any self-adjoint elements and in a star-algebra , the Jordan product (or anticommutator), defined as , is commutative, such that .
Right distributivity of the Jordan product:
Let be an algebra with a star-involution. For any self-adjoint elements , the Jordan product distributes over addition in its right argument:
Left distributivity of the Jordan product:
Let be an algebra with a star-involution. For any self-adjoint elements , the Jordan product (or anticommutator) defined by distributes over addition in its left argument:
Jordan Identity:
Let be an associative algebra equipped with a star-involution, and let be self-adjoint elements. Let denote the Jordan product (or anticommutator) of two elements. Then the Jordan identity holds: This identity expresses a form of weak associativity, specifically that the operators of Jordan-multiplication by and by commute.
Jordan multiplication on
This instance defines the multiplication operator on the set of self-adjoint elements of an algebra . The product of two self-adjoint elements is given by the Jordan product (anticommutator), defined as . This multiplication is provided as a scoped instance to avoid conflict with the standard associative product in cases where is commutative.
Definition of Multiplication on as the Jordan Product
For any two self-adjoint elements and of an algebra , the product (under the Jordan multiplication instance) is equal to the Jordan product (anticommutator) .
Commutative magma structure on under the Jordan product
This instance equips the set of self-adjoint elements of a star-ring with the structure of a commutative magma. The multiplication operation used is the Jordan product (anticommutator), defined as , which is shown to be commutative ().
is a Commutative Jordan Ring under the Jordan Product
For a star-ring , the set of self-adjoint elements , equipped with the Jordan product (anticommutator) defined as , satisfies the axioms of a commutative Jordan ring. This means the operation is commutative () and satisfies the Jordan identity for all .
Jordan product of observables
For a star-ring , let denote the type of self-adjoint elements (where ). The Jordan product of two observables is defined as the anticommutator . This operation maps a pair of observables to another observable.
The Jordan product of self-adjoint elements is the normalized anticommutator
Let be a star-algebra over . For any self-adjoint elements and in , the Jordan product (as defined in the `selfAdjoint` namespace) corresponds to the normalized anticommutator in the ambient algebra : where the products on the right-hand side are the standard associative multiplications in .
for the Jordan product
Let be a star-algebra over . For any real scalar and any self-adjoint elements , the Jordan product (anticommutator) satisfies the property that the scalar can be pulled out of the left argument: .
Scalar linearity of the Jordan product in the second argument:
Let be an algebra over . For any self-adjoint elements in and any real scalar , the Jordan product satisfies the property that the scalar can be factored out of the second argument: .
Let be an algebra over with a star-involution. For any self-adjoint elements , the right-nested Jordan product is related to the unnormalized anticommutator by the identity where denotes the normalized Jordan product.
for the Jordan product of self-adjoint elements
For any self-adjoint element of an algebra with a star-involution, the Jordan product of with is , denoted as . Here, the Jordan product is defined as the anticommutator .
as a non-unital non-associative commutative ring
The set of self-adjoint elements of a star-algebra carries the structure of a non-unital, non-associative, commutative ring. Under this structure, addition is the standard addition in , and multiplication is defined by the Jordan product (anticommutator) . This product is commutative and distributes over addition, though it is not generally associative.
as a non-associative ring
The set of self-adjoint elements of a star-algebra is equipped with the structure of a non-associative ring. In this structure, addition is the standard addition inherited from , and multiplication is defined by the Jordan product (anticommutator) . This ring structure includes an additive identity , additive inverses, and a multiplicative identity such that for all , though the multiplication is not generally associative.
is a unital commutative non-associative ring under the Jordan product
The set of self-adjoint elements of a star-algebra is equipped with the structure of a unital, commutative, non-associative ring. Under this structure, the addition and the multiplicative identity are inherited from , and the multiplication is defined by the Jordan product (anticommutator) . This product is commutative and distributive over addition, but it is not generally associative.
Real Scalar Multiplication Commutes with Jordan Product in
For any real number and any two self-adjoint elements , the scalar multiplication by commutes with the Jordan product . Specifically, the identity holds.
Real Scalar Tower for the Jordan Product:
Let be an algebra over . For any real scalar and any self-adjoint elements , the real scalar multiplication satisfies the scalar tower property with respect to the Jordan product (the anticommutator ):
