Rank and Range Criteria for Mixed-State Determination from Local Marginals

Abstract

Determining whether a mixed quantum state is uniquely determined among all states by its k-body marginals (k-UDA) is a fundamental problem in quantum system certification. We develop a range-based approach to this problem by analyzing the structure of the range of the global state. For three-qubit states, we show that states with GHZ-SLOCC-free ranges are 2-UDA at ranks one, three, and four. We derive a necessary and sufficient range criterion for rank-two 2-UDA states and reduce it to a finite quadratic-form test. To cover the remaining range configurations, we formulate an exact range-restricted semidefinite programming criterion and extend it to arbitrary finite-dimensional tripartite states. We also show that every three-qubit state of rank at least five is not 2-UDA, and further extend high-rank obstructions to multipartite systems. For a channel-based multipartite family, we characterize exactly when a state is $(n-1)$-UDA and show that lower-order marginals never suffice. Finally, we apply these results to the certification of genuine multipartite entanglement.