Hermitian Maps: Approximations and Completely Positive Extensions

Abstract: This study investigates Hermitian linear maps, focusing on their decomposition into completely positive (CP) maps and their extensions to CP maps using auxiliary spaces. We derive a precise lower bound on the Hilbert-Schmidt norm of the negative component in any CP decomposition, proving its attainability through the Jordan decomposition. Additionally, we demonstrate that the positive part of this decomposition provides the optimal CP approximation in the Hilbert-Schmidt norm. We also determine the minimal dimension of an auxiliary space required to extend a Hermitian map to a CP map, with explicit constructions provided. Practical examples illustrate the application of our results.