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Given a square matrix $A$ (could be chosen to be unitary, and possibly also involutive if it helps), then how do we find a matrix $M$ such that $$\text{pt}(MA) = 0?$$

On a pure tensor, the partial trace above acts as $\text{pt}(A\otimes B) = \text{Tr}(A) B$ and can then be extended to general $n^2 \times n^2$ matrices by linear combinations.

In the case of a full trace, we of course can say for example that if $MA = BC - CB$ for some $C$ and $B$, then the trace vanishes, and there are also other possiblities. But what about the case of a partial trace?

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  • $\begingroup$ Presumably, you meant to write $\operatorname{pt}(A \otimes B) = \operatorname{Tr}(B)A$ $\endgroup$ Mar 3, 2021 at 16:26
  • $\begingroup$ I actually meant the opposite way round - sorry. I have edited above! This may simplify your below calculations (which I'm very grateful for), but I discuss further in the comments.. $\endgroup$
    – CS1994
    Mar 4, 2021 at 15:34

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Express $A$ in the form $$ A = \sum_{j,k = 1}^n E_{jk} \otimes A_{jk} $$ where $E_{jk}$ denotes the matrix with $1$ as its $j,k$ entry and zeros elsewhere. Equivalently, each $A_{jk}$ is an $n \times n$ "block-entry" of $A$. Partition $M$ in the same fashion.

We can write the $p,q$ entry of $\operatorname{pt}(MA)$ as $$ \operatorname{tr}\left(\sum_{j=1}^n M_{pj} A_{jq}\right) = \operatorname{tr}(M C_{pq}^T), $$ where $C_{pq}$ denotes the matrix whose block-entries are zero except for the $p$-th row, and the block-entries of the $p$th row are $A_{1q}^T,\dots,A_{nq}^T$. Now, in terms of the vectorization operator, we have $$ \operatorname{tr}(MC_{pq}^T) = \operatorname{vec}(C_{pq})^T \operatorname{vec}(M). $$ With that, we see that $\operatorname{vec}(M)$ must be a solution to the equation $C x = 0$, where $C$ is the matrix whose rows are $\operatorname{vec}(C_{pq})^T$ for all $1 \leq p,q \leq n$.


To simplify the above a bit: we can write $$ C_{pq} = \sum_{j=1}^n E_{pj} \otimes A_{jq}^T, $$ so that $$ \operatorname{vec}(C_{pq}) = \sum_{j=1}^n \operatorname{vec}(E_{pj} \otimes A_{jq}^T) = \sum_{j=1}^n \sum_{k=1}^n e_j \otimes e_k \otimes e_p \otimes A^T_{jp}[k], $$ where $M[k]$ denotes the $k$th column of the matrix $M$.

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  • $\begingroup$ You say these $A_{jk}$ are 'block-entries" of A, but I am correct in thinking that the adjacent entries of each $A_{jk}$ are not adjacent elements of $A$ as given by the tensor product. For example $(A_{11})^1_2 = A^1_3$ (where A^a_b is the element in the a-th row and b-th column of $A$ so as not to confuse notations). $\endgroup$
    – CS1994
    Mar 4, 2021 at 15:44
  • $\begingroup$ Applying this change, I believe this yields $\sum_{j,k} M_{jk}A_{jk}$ as the result of the partial trace. Just to throw further spanner in the works, I wonder what this reveals if we chose $M$ to have a specific form, perhaps $M = N\otimes 1$ for some $N$ and 1 the identity matrix. This then simplifies the sum to $\sum_{jk} N_{jk}A_{jk}$ where these $N_{jk}$ are now just scalars. This now looks like a matrix valued linear independence equation if we want it to be zero. However, I'm unsure if such a notion exists. $\endgroup$
    – CS1994
    Mar 4, 2021 at 15:50
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    $\begingroup$ @CS1994 I am taking the tensor product to be the same as the Kronecker product in this context. With that, for $n=2$, we have $$ \sum_{j,k=1}^2 E_{ij} \otimes A_{ij} = \pmatrix{A_{11} & A_{12}\\ A_{21} & A_{22}}. $$ That is what I mean when I say that the $A_{jk}$ are the "block-entries" of $A$. $\endgroup$ Mar 4, 2021 at 16:44

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