English

Quantum Bayesian Networks: Compositionality and Typing via Linear Logic

Logic in Computer Science 2026-05-27 v2

Abstract

Quantum Bayesian networks provide a mathematical formalism to describe causal relations, to analyse correlations, and to predict the probabilities of measurement outcomes, in systems involving both classical and quantum data. They generalize Pearl's Bayesian networks -- prominent graphical models for classical probabilistic reasoning and inference. The goal of this paper is to bring compositional principles and a typing discipline into this setting. A key feature of our compositional semantics is that when all causes are classical, it coincides with the standard factor-based semantics of Bayesian networks, while in the purely quantum case it reduces to tensor networks. We then propose a typed formalism based on linear logic proof-nets, where types ensure well-behaved composition of systems, and which we prove sound and complete with respect to quantum Bayesian networks.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2604.26059,
  title  = {Quantum Bayesian Networks: Compositionality and Typing via Linear Logic},
  author = {Rémi Di Guardia and Thomas Ehrhard and Claudia Faggian},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.26059},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

23 pages, related to a FSCD paper accepted but not yet published

R2 v1 2026-07-01T12:40:00.759Z