Close-to-optimal continuity bound for the von Neumann entropy and other quasi-classical applications of the Alicki-Fannes-Winter technique

We consider a quasi-classical version of the Alicki-Fannes-Winter technique widely used for quantitative continuity analysis of characteristics of quantum systems and channels. This version allows us to obtain continuity bounds under constraints of different types for quantum states belonging to subsets of a special form that can be called "quasi-classical". Several applications of the proposed method are described. Among others, we obtain the universal continuity bound for the von Neumann entropy under the energy-type constraint which in the case of one-mode quantum oscillator is close to the specialized optimal continuity bound presented recently by Becker, Datta and Jabbour. We obtain semi-continuity bounds for the quantum conditional entropy of quantum-classical states and for the entanglement of formation in bipartite quantum systems with the rank/energy constraint imposed only on one state. Semi-continuity bounds for entropic characteristics of classical random variables and classical states of a multi-mode quantum oscillator are also obtained.