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Density Matrix

In quantum mechanics, the state vector of a system determines the statistical behavior of the quality being observed. As described mathematically, the density matrix is said to represent the superposition of probable states of a system prior to measurement. The act of measurement induces an irreversible change on the density matrix, analogous to reduction of wavefunction of the system.

The density matrix formalism uses matrices alone to represent the quantum states, while using spinors requires both matrices and vectors to be specified. The density matrices are then replaced with [Clifford] algebraic operators that make it easier to specify solutions to eigenstate and eigenvalue equations for the system as well as to determine the probability of obtaining a predicted value in a measurement of the system.

Advantages of using a density matrix (with density operator qubit states) to describe a quantum system are elegance, simplicity and ease of computation.

Web Resources On Density Matrix

The density matrix and density operator
Density Matrix Formulation of QM
Density Matrix, Wikipedia

Book Resources On Density Matrix

Density-Matrix Renormalization - A New Numerical Method in Physics: Lectures by Ingo Peschel et al.
Quantum Computation and Quantum Information by Michael A. Nielsen and Isaac L. Chuang
Density Matrix Theory and Applications by Karl Blum

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