Weak majorization inequalities for the cubic and quartic coefficients of $e^{(A+B)t}$ versus $e^{At}e^{Bt}$

Abstract

Let $A,B\in\mathbb{H}_n$ and set $H=A+B$. For each integer $k\ge 1$ define $$ Q_k:=\sum_{p=0}^k \binom{k}{p} A^pB^{k-p}, R_k:=\Re\,Q_k=\frac{Q_k+Q_k^*}{2}. $$ Then $H^k=\left.\frac{d^k}{dt^k}e^{Ht}\right|_{t=0}$ and $Q_k=\left.\frac{d^k}{dt^k}(e^{At}e^{Bt})\right|_{t=0}$. We prove that, for $k=3,4,$ $$ \lambda(H^k)\prec_w \sigma(Q_k). $$ Equivalently, the eigenvalues of the cubic and quartic Taylor coefficients of $e^{(A+B)t}$ are weakly majorized by the singular values of the corresponding coefficients of the Golden--Thompson product $e^{At}e^{Bt}$. Our argument combines Ky Fan variational principles with explicit commutator identitiesfor $R_k-H^k$ at orders $k=3,4$, reducing the problem to the positivity of certain double-commutator trace forms tested against Ky Fan maximizing projections. We also record a general sufficient condition for higher orders based on commutator decompositions.