Comment on "A General Framework for Constructing Local Hidden-state Models to Determine the Steerability"

Florian Marquardt; Nick von Selzam

arxiv: 2604.16051 · v1 · submitted 2026-04-17 · 🪐 quant-ph

Comment on "A General Framework for Constructing Local Hidden-state Models to Determine the Steerability"

Nick von Selzam , Florian Marquardt This is my paper

Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 08:29 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification 🪐 quant-ph

keywords local hidden-state modelslocal hidden-variable modelsquantum steeringsteerabilityquantum informationscientific attribution

0 comments

The pith

A method for building local hidden-state models follows an earlier framework for local hidden-variable models more closely than its citations show.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

This comment paper establishes that the construction technique for local hidden-state models in Jia et al. follows the same steps as the framework the authors previously introduced for local hidden-variable models. They document specific overlaps in the algorithmic approach and phrasing that exceed the level of acknowledgment provided by the existing references. A sympathetic reader would care because accurate attribution ensures that foundational contributions in quantum information are properly recognized when applied to new contexts like steerability.

Core claim

The method presented in Jia et al. for constructing local hidden-state models closely follows the framework we developed in von Selzam and Marquardt for constructing local hidden-variable models, with methodological and textual similarities that are not adequately reflected by the attribution given.

What carries the argument

The original framework for constructing local hidden-variable models, now applied to the task of building local hidden-state models.

If this is right

The same sequence of steps used for local hidden-variable models directly yields valid local hidden-state models.
Readers seeking the original derivation of the construction method should consult the earlier work in addition to the citing paper.
Extensions to other forms of quantum correlation, such as steering, can reuse the established construction without starting from scratch.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

The new paper functions more as a direct transfer of the prior framework into the hidden-state setting than as an independent invention.
This raises the general question of how much methodological reuse across related quantum models should trigger expanded citation language.
Future applications of local hidden models could cite the foundational framework explicitly to trace the development of the technique.

Load-bearing premise

The observed similarities in method and wording are extensive enough to require more prominent attribution than the citations already provided.

What would settle it

A side-by-side comparison of the step-by-step procedures in both papers that reveals only generic overlaps typical in the field would show the claim of close following does not hold.

read the original abstract

We point out that the method presented in a recent arXiv article by Jia et al. (arXiv:2512.21848) for constructing local hidden-state models closely follows the framework we developed in N. von Selzam & F. Marquardt (PRX Quantum, 2025) for constructing local hidden-variable models. While Jia et al. cite our work, the extent of the methodological overlap and the degree of textual similarity are not adequately reflected by the attribution given. We document this overlap in detail.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Desk Editor's Note private letter to a colleague

This comment documents close methodological overlap between Jia et al. and the authors' prior framework, arguing the existing citation does not reflect the full extent of the similarities.

read the letter

This comment points out that Jia et al.'s method for local hidden-state models follows the framework from von Selzam and Marquardt's earlier paper on local hidden-variable models more closely than the citation suggests. The authors document the overlap in detail. The paper does a solid job of laying out the parallels between the two approaches. By showing how the steps align, it makes a concrete case for why more attribution might have been appropriate. This is useful record-keeping in a technical area where ideas move between related topics. A potential soft spot is the subjective element in deciding citation sufficiency. Jia et al. did include a reference, so the argument hinges on the extent and nature of the similarities. The comment focuses on methodological and some textual aspects, but different readers might see the overlap as less extensive or as normal adaptation. This is aimed at specialists in quantum steering and hidden state models who track how these constructions are developed. Someone building on this work would benefit from knowing the full history. The paper shows clear thinking in its comparison and engages directly with the literature by referencing the specific prior work. It deserves a serious referee to evaluate the documentation. I would recommend peer review for this comment. It allows the community to see the side-by-side and form their own view on the attribution question.

Referee Report

0 major / 1 minor

Summary. The manuscript is a comment asserting that the method for constructing local hidden-state models in Jia et al. (arXiv:2512.21848) closely follows the framework for local hidden-variable models developed by von Selzam & Marquardt (PRX Quantum, 2025). It states that while Jia et al. cite the prior work, the methodological and textual overlap is more extensive than the citation reflects, and documents these similarities in detail.

Significance. If the detailed documentation of overlap is accurate, this comment is significant for upholding standards of attribution in quantum information, specifically regarding adaptations of local hidden models from hidden-variable to hidden-state settings for assessing steerability. It contributes to clarifying the development of such techniques without introducing new derivations or empirical results.

minor comments (1)

The abstract and title could more explicitly note that the comment focuses on attribution norms rather than technical errors in Jia et al.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

0 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their careful review of our manuscript and for recommending acceptance. We appreciate the recognition that proper attribution of methodological frameworks is important for maintaining standards in quantum information research.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 0 axioms · 0 invented entities

This comment paper introduces no new parameters, axioms, or entities; it performs a methodological comparison of prior literature.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5378 in / 929 out tokens · 21601 ms · 2026-05-10T08:29:50.762079+00:00 · methodology

discussion (0)

Reference graph

Works this paper leans on

3 extracted references · 3 canonical work pages

[1]

machine learning-based framework that employs batch sampling of measurements and gradient-based optimization to con- struct an optimal LHS model

The main technical contribution of our work was to construct and parameterize general LHV models for projective measurements in a way that allows for effi- cient numerical optimization over the space of all LHV models. In Ref. [2], posted on arXiv on December 26 th, 2025, the authors present what they describe as a “machine learning-based framework that e...

work page 2025
[2]

von Selzam and F

N. von Selzam and F. Marquardt, Discovering Local Hidden-Variable Models for Arbitrary Multipartite Entan- gled States and Arbitrary Measurements, PRX Quantum 6, 020317 (2025)

work page 2025
[3]

Borrowing machine learning terminol- ogy, this can be achieved by minimizing the scalar loss function L(LHV || QM) = ⟨D[P QM(·|x), PLHV(·|x)]⟩x

Y. Jia, F. Guo, M. Li, H. Dong, and F. Gao, A General Framework for Constructing Local Hidden- state Models to Determine the Steerability, arXiv 10.48550/arXiv.2512.21848 (2025). arXiv:2604.16051v1 [quant-ph] 17 Apr 2026 2 TABLE I. Methodological elements appearing in both papers. ‘Cited’ indicates whether the element is attributed to Ref. [1] (ours) at t...

work page doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.21848 2025

[1] [1]

machine learning-based framework that employs batch sampling of measurements and gradient-based optimization to con- struct an optimal LHS model

The main technical contribution of our work was to construct and parameterize general LHV models for projective measurements in a way that allows for effi- cient numerical optimization over the space of all LHV models. In Ref. [2], posted on arXiv on December 26 th, 2025, the authors present what they describe as a “machine learning-based framework that e...

work page 2025

[2] [2]

von Selzam and F

N. von Selzam and F. Marquardt, Discovering Local Hidden-Variable Models for Arbitrary Multipartite Entan- gled States and Arbitrary Measurements, PRX Quantum 6, 020317 (2025)

work page 2025

[3] [3]

Borrowing machine learning terminol- ogy, this can be achieved by minimizing the scalar loss function L(LHV || QM) = ⟨D[P QM(·|x), PLHV(·|x)]⟩x

Y. Jia, F. Guo, M. Li, H. Dong, and F. Gao, A General Framework for Constructing Local Hidden- state Models to Determine the Steerability, arXiv 10.48550/arXiv.2512.21848 (2025). arXiv:2604.16051v1 [quant-ph] 17 Apr 2026 2 TABLE I. Methodological elements appearing in both papers. ‘Cited’ indicates whether the element is attributed to Ref. [1] (ours) at t...

work page doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.21848 2025