quant-phJul 10, 2026

Lean-QIT: Towards a Formal Infrastructure for Quantum Information Theory

Authors: Chengkai ZhuZiao TangGuocheng ZhenYimeng CaoYusheng ZhaoRanyiliu ChenXuanqiang ZhaoLei Zhang+1 more

Organizations: QudeLeap Research, Shanghai 200030, China · The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Guangdong 511453, China · Quantum Science Center of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen 518045, China · The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

Abstract

Quantum information theory (QIT) characterizes the capabilities and fundamental limits of quantum information processing, underpinning quantum communication, computation, and error correction. Formalizing its coding theorems requires connecting finite-block protocols, analytic inequalities, and asymptotic limits within a unified machine-checked framework. Existing developments, however, lack a reusable operational layer that defines codes, error criteria, achievable rates, and capacities independently of their information-theoretic characterizations. In this work, we present LeanQIT, a Lean 4 library for finite-dimensional QIT. It provides composable, kernel-checked interfaces for quantum states and channels, source and channel codes, finite-block performance criteria, hypothesis testing, one-shot quantities, and asymptotic rate constructions. Using this infrastructure, we formalize Schumacher's quantum source-coding theorem, the Holevo--Schumacher--Westmoreland classical-capacity theorem, and the entanglement-assisted classical-capacity theorem together with its strong converse. By separating operational definitions from analytic characterizations and exposing reusable achievability, converse, and asymptotic components, Lean-QIT provides a machine-readable foundation for formal QIT and a compositional knowledge substrate for emerging AI-assisted formalization, automated proof search, and agentic reasoning in quantum information and computation.

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