slug: pronko-2025-fredkin-noncyclic-annihilation bibkey: pronko2025fredkin doi: 10.1088/1751-8121/ae1644 url: https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/ae1644 triage: theorem motivation_gids:

• D5/S3/Quantum/Dynamics/PronkoFredkinNonCyclicAnnihilation.result

Pronko’s non-cyclic Fredkin eigenstate annihilation conjecture

Problem

Pronko fixes the one-site basis in section 2.1, printed p. 3:

We denote basis vectors in ℂ² by |↑⟩ = (1, 0)ᵀ, |↓⟩ = (0, 1)ᵀ.

The basis in End(ℂ²) is provided by the Pauli matrices σ⁺ = [[0, 1], [0, 0]], σ⁻ = [[0, 0], [1, 0]], σᶻ = [[1, 0], [0, −1]].

We will also use projectors onto the spin-up and spin-down states: n↑ = ½(1 + σᶻ), n↓ = ½(1 − σᶻ).

The same page defines the adjacent exchange and antisymmetrizer:

Consider two adjacent copies of ℂ², say, the jth and (j + 1)th. Important objects are the permutation operator P_{j,j+1}, which exchanges these copies, and the projector Π_{j,j+1} onto the spin-0 state, which is essentially the antisymmetrizer, Π_{j,j+1} = ½(1 − P_{j,j+1}).

It then prints the Hamiltonian density and periodic Hamiltonian:

F_{j,j+1,j+2} = n↑_j Π_{j+1,j+2} + Π_{j,j+1} n↓_{j+2}. (2.2)

The periodic boundary conditions mean that the Hamiltonian is the cyclic sum, H = Σ_{j=1}^{N} F_{j,j+1,j+2}. (2.3)

where identification of sites by modulus N is assumed.

Across printed pp. 3-4 the source gives the ordered product and its action:

The operator C = P_{1,2} ⋯ P_{N−2,N−1} P_{N−1,N} is the cyclic shift operator C, acting on sites as i ↦ i + 1.

Theorem 2, equation (3.1), printed pp. 6-7, states:

The operators Σ^± = Σ_{r₁,...,r_N ∈ {−1,0,1}, r₁+⋯+r_N = ±1} σ₁^{r₁} ⋯ σ_N^{r_N}, (3.1) where σ_i^0 = 1 and σ_i^{±1} = σ_i^±.

Conjecture 1, printed p. 7, is:

The operators Σ^± annihilate all non-cyclic invariant (C ≠ 1) eigenstates of the Hamiltonian.

Issue #9359 fixes four readings: (i) an eigenstate is a nonzero H-eigenvector that is also a C-eigenvector; (ii) non-cyclic means its C-eigenvalue c is not one; (iii) (3.1) is represented literally, with Fin 3 values 0,1,2 encoding exponents -1,0,1; and (iv) sites are modulo N, N >= 3, over complex scalars.

Motivation

The frozen declaration D5/S3/Quantum/Dynamics/PronkoFredkinNonCyclicAnnihilation.result proves Conjecture 1 for every N >= 3. It retains the simultaneous Hamiltonian eigenvector hypothesis but proves the stronger fact used by the conjecture: every C-eigenvector with eigenvalue different from one is annihilated by both operators.

Gap

Issue #9359 preregisters this published conjecture and its literature check. Crossref reports is-referenced-by-count = 1. OpenAlex records W4415449412 with cited_by_count = 1 and W4415233546 with cited_by_count = 0. The only citing work found, arXiv:2509.04838v2, does not mention Conjecture 1. arXiv:2608.17548 proves a different Pronko conjecture. MathDB problem /p/369467 lists zero solutions. Semantic Scholar returned HTTP 429 and is ASSUMED-UNVERIFIED.

These readings are not-found-in-searched-scope; they do not establish an exhaustive worldwide literature search, priority, or the absence of an independent proof.

Route

The exact entry description is Sigma M ε y x = [weight y − weight x = ε]: at each (y,x), at most one Kronecker monomial of (3.1) has a nonzero value, and it lies in the constrained sum exactly when the displayed weight difference equals ε; otherwise no term of (3.1) contributes. Weight is invariant under every site swap, so Sigma M epsilon * P M j = Sigma M epsilon. Folding this identity over the printed ordered product gives the organizing absorption identity Sigma M epsilon * C M = Sigma M epsilon. Thus Sigma psi = Sigma C psi = c * Sigma psi; since c != 1, (c - 1) * Sigma psi = 0 forces Sigma psi = 0. The proof uses no property of H.

Under CLAUDE.md section 3.2, result has proof_shape: bind-only and escape_witness: none, with admission_basis: open-problem-resolution under issue #9359. After the local have chain is inlined, every step is an instantiation of a pinned Mathlib declaration or a finite normalization of the module’s own tables: Finset.prod_ite_zero, Finset.sum_sub_distrib, Equiv.sum_comp, PEquiv.mul_toMatrix_toPEquiv, list induction on List.prod, Matrix.mulVec_mulVec, Matrix.mulVec_smul, smul_eq_zero, and sub_eq_zero. The absorption identity is the organizing intermediate fact, not an escape witness. The direct frozen dependency is D5/S3/Quantum/FiniteDimensional.qubitZ with statement_id sha256:381a2bec567456715f58fe6c0c413d59d37882b8499fc81a486c49e7c081d78c, carried through nUp and nDown.

Falsifier

A refutation would be an N >= 3 and a nonzero simultaneous H/C eigenvector with C-eigenvalue c != 1 that is not annihilated by Sigma+ or Sigma-. The absorption identity (E), Sigma M epsilon * C M = Sigma M epsilon, rules this out for every C-eigenvector with eigenvalue different from one.

Evidence

The orchestrator built integer matrices directly from (3.1) by Kronecker products for N = 2..6 and epsilon = +/-1. Entrywise, at each (y,x) at most one monomial is nonzero; it lies in (3.1) exactly when weight(y) - weight(x) = epsilon, and otherwise no term contributes. Both Sigma^epsilon C = Sigma^epsilon and C Sigma^epsilon = Sigma^epsilon hold in every checked case.

The printed matrices, projectors, (2.2), (2.3), the ordered C product, (3.1), and Conjecture 1 were checked against rendered printed pp. 3, 6, and 7; the shift characterization continues onto printed p. 4. The Lean proof has only the standard axiom closure propext, Classical.choice, and Quot.sound. These finite checks support the reading and route but do not establish the universal theorem.

Triage

First-tier external named open problem: Pronko, Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical 58 (2025) 445204, Conjecture 1, preregistered in issue #9359. Resolution: proved.

The public surface is exactly sigmaPlus, sigmaMinus, nUp, nDown, tensor, site, P, Pi, F, H, C, sigmaPow, Sigma, claim, and result; spinStep and weight are private data definitions. This is a uniform symbolic theorem, not bounded enumeration, checker infrastructure, numeric reduction, or a certified finite instance, so utility: none applies. Conjecture 2, equations (3.3)/(3.4), ground-state claims, and the Motzkin analogue are not asserted.

ASSUMED-UNVERIFIED

Semantic Scholar is ASSUMED-UNVERIFIED because it returned HTTP 429. The bounded literature check does not establish exhaustive worldwide novelty, priority, or the absence of an independent proof. The Lean kernel does not authenticate the external PDF, its printed pagination, the literature-search coverage, or publication history. The finite checks through N = 6 do not establish the universal theorem.