Monotone Riemannian metrics and relative entropy on noncommutative probability spaces

We use the relative modular operator to define a generalized relative entropy for any convex operator function g on (0,infinity) satisfying g(1)=0. We show that these convex operator functions can be partitioned into convex subsets, each of which defines a unique symmetrized relative entropy, a unique family (parametrized by density matrices) of continuous monotone Riemannian metrics, a unique geodesic distance on the space of density matrices, and a unique monotone operator function satisfying certain symmetry and normalization conditions. We describe these objects explicitly in several important special cases, including g(w)=-log w, which yields the familiar logarithmic relative entropy. The relative entropies, Riemannian metrics, and geodesic distances obtained by our procedure all contract under completely positive, trace-preserving maps. We then define and study the maximal contraction associated with these quantities. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0022-2488(99)01410-3].