tensor product
This term is a specialized technical expression used primarily in linear algebra, multilinear algebra, and quantum physics. It describes a specific way of constructing a new vector space from existing ones, characterized by the multiplication of dimensions rather than their addition. In a quantum mechanical context, it is the essential mathematical tool for describing entanglement, as it allows for the representation of a joint state that cannot always be factored back into individual subsystem states.
Because it is a highly specific mathematical operation, the term is almost exclusively used in formal academic or professional scientific discourse. It does not have a casual or metaphorical equivalent in general English. While "product" usually implies simple multiplication, in this context it refers to a structured mapping between spaces.
Meanings
A mathematical operation that combines two vector spaces or modules to create a new, larger space, where the resulting basis consists of all possible pairs of basis vectors from the original spaces.\n\nIn quantum mechanics, the tensor product is the fundamental method used to describe the state space of a composite system formed by two or more individual subsystems.
The state of a two-qubit system is represented as the tensor product of two individual qubit Hilbert spaces.