3 Packet systems and refinement towers
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Packet coordinates split a module into pieces that can be recovered separately and then added back together. The construction uses idempotents and does not need an inner product.
Definition 3.1: Packet system
Let \(X\) be a module over a unital ring. A finite packet system on \(X\) is a family
of nonzero idempotents such that
Write
The analysis and synthesis maps are
They are inverse isomorphisms.
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Definition 3.2: Refinement
Let \({\mathcal P}=(P_\alpha)_{\alpha\in I}\) and \({\mathcal Q}=(Q_\beta)_{\beta\in J}\) be packet systems on the same module. We say that \({\mathcal Q}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\) when there is a surjection
such that
for every \(\alpha\in I\). The index \(\beta\) is then called a child of \(\rho(\beta)\).
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Theorem 3.3: Children, parents, and transitivity
Suppose that \({\mathcal Q}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\) through \(\rho\). Then
Hence \(Q_\beta X\subseteq P_{\rho(\beta)}X\). If a third packet system \({\mathcal R}\) refines \({\mathcal Q}\), then \({\mathcal R}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\) through the composite parent map.
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Proof of Theorem 3.3
Multiply the identity
by \(Q_\beta\) on either side. Pairwise annihilation in the fine family leaves \(Q_\beta\) when \(\rho(\beta)=\alpha\) and leaves zero otherwise. For transitivity, substitute the child expansion of each \(Q_\beta\) into the expansion of \(P_\alpha\) and group the resulting terms by the composite parent.
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A refinement tower is a sequence \(({\mathcal P}_\ell)_{\ell\geq0}\) with parent maps
such that \({\mathcal P}_m\) refines \({\mathcal P}_\ell\) through \(\rho_{m,\ell}\) for every \(m\geq\ell\), and
Thus every parent map witnesses the stated refinement and the maps compose coherently. The next result shows that the coordinate changes form a coherent system.
Definition 3.4: Coordinate change across levels
For two packet systems \({\mathcal P}\) and \({\mathcal Q}\) on \(X\), define
and
When \({\mathcal Q}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\), the first map resolves each coarse coordinate into its children and the second adds the children back to their parent.
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The central idea
A coarse coordinate retains a whole vector in its coarse packet. Adding its children keeps the whole vector inside that packet. Fine analysis recovers each child by applying its projector. This explains why the two coordinate maps can be inverse even when the fine system has more packet labels.
Theorem 3.5: Exact coordinate change and coherence
For any two packet systems on \(X\),
For three packet systems \({\mathcal P}\), \({\mathcal Q}\), and \({\mathcal R}\) on \(X\),
If \({\mathcal Q}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\) through \(\rho\), then
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Proof of Theorem 3.5
The packet analysis and synthesis maps are inverse. Therefore
The other inverse identity is the same calculation with the two systems exchanged. The coherence identities follow by inserting
Now assume that \({\mathcal Q}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\). If \(x=(x_\alpha)_\alpha\) with \(x_\alpha\in P_\alpha X\), then
by Theorem 3.3. The formula for \(C\) follows by synthesis followed by projection onto the parent packet.
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Remark 3.6: Refinement and reduction
The maps in Theorem 3.5 are isomorphisms because both coordinate spaces represent all of \(X\). They do not reduce dimension and they do not discard packets. Approximation begins only after one chooses a truncation or compression rule.
Corollary 3.7: Orthogonal Hilbert packets
If \(X\) is a real or complex Hilbert space and every packet system in the tower consists of orthogonal projections, equip each finite packet direct sum with the Hilbert inner product \(\langle(x_\alpha),(y_\alpha)\rangle=\sum_\alpha\langle x_\alpha,y_\alpha\rangle\). Then analysis and synthesis are unitary. Every coordinate change in Theorem 3.5 is unitary.
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Proof of Corollary 3.7
For an orthogonal packet system,
Thus analysis is an isometry onto the full packet direct sum. Synthesis is its inverse. A coordinate change is a composition of two unitary maps.
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Every coarse packet is also uniquely reconstructed from its fine children. If vectors \(x_\beta\in Q_\beta X\) sum to a coarse packet \(x\), applying \(Q_\gamma\) recovers \(x_\gamma=Q_\gamma x\). This is the uniqueness clause of the canonical nested-refinement statement.
3.1 Typed coordinate naturality
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These coordinate changes are coherent through every finite tower. If three complete packet systems are denoted by \(a,b,c\), then
These laws hold for arbitrary exact packet systems representing the same ambient module. The parent maps supply the component formulas linking children to their parents. Coordinate coherence itself does not require them.
The same coherence applies to operators. Let \(P_a,P_b\) be packet systems on \(X\), let \(Q_a,Q_b\) be packet systems on \(Y\), where \(X\) and \(Y\) are modules over the same scalar ring, and let \(T:X\to Y\) be a linear map over that ring. Its exact coordinate representation
preserves identities and typed composition, and the naturality square is
The identity, cocycle, composition, inverse, and naturality laws are all proved in Lean. The separate refinement hypotheses supply the local component formulas linking each child to its parent.
How to read the result
These identities concern complete coordinates of the same module. A quotient is a different operation: it identifies vectors that differ by an element of a chosen submodule. Later, finite precision will be expressed by a quotient that removes terms beyond the chosen filtration depth. This distinction explains why refinement is exactly reversible while precision truncation has a prescribed residual.

3.2 Operator blocks across refinement
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For \(T\in{\operatorname{End}}(X)\) and a packet system \({\mathcal P}\), write
Theorem 3.8: Refinement of operator blocks
Suppose that \({\mathcal Q}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\) through \(\rho\). Then
The matrix of \(T\) in fine coordinates is related to the matrix in coarse coordinates by
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Proof of Theorem 3.8
Expand the two coarse projectors into their children:
Distributing the finite sums gives the first identity. For the coordinate identity, use
and insert
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Corollary 3.9: Support under refinement
Under the hypotheses of Theorem 3.8, a coarse block \(T^{{\mathcal P}}_{ba}\) is zero if and only if every fine descendant block
is zero.
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Proof of Corollary 3.9
If every fine block is zero, the coarse block is zero by Theorem 3.8. Conversely, suppose \(P_bTP_a=0\). Multiply on the left by \(Q_\beta\) and on the right by \(Q_\alpha\). The child identities in Theorem 3.3 give
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Thus refinement cannot hide an active transfer inside a zero coarse block. It can only reveal where the active transfer sits among the descendants.

3.3 Common refinements
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Two packet systems need not be comparable. When their idempotents commute, their products give a common refinement.
Theorem 3.10: Common refinement of commuting packet systems
Let \({\mathcal P}=(P_\alpha)_{\alpha\in I}\) and \({\mathcal Q}=(Q_\beta)_{\beta\in J}\) be packet systems on \(X\). Assume
for all \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\). Remove the zero operators from the family
The remaining operators form a packet system that refines both \({\mathcal P}\) and \({\mathcal Q}\). The same statement holds for any finite collection of pairwise commuting packet systems.
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Proof of Theorem 3.10
Commutativity gives
If \((\alpha,\beta)\ne(\alpha',\beta')\), then either \(P_\alpha P_{\alpha'}=0\) or \(Q_\beta Q_{\beta'}=0\), so the corresponding products annihilate one another. Finally,
For a fixed \(\alpha\),
and the same argument works for a fixed \(\beta\). Since each \(P_\alpha\) and \(Q_\beta\) is nonzero, these identities ensure that every parent has a nonzero product child. The two parent maps on the supported product family are therefore surjective. Iteration proves the finite family statement. For the empty collection, use the supported identity family: \((I_X)\) when \(X\ne0\) and the empty family when \(X=0\).
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Proposition 3.11: Coarsest common refinement
Under the hypotheses of Theorem 3.10, let \({\mathcal R}\) be a packet system that refines both \({\mathcal P}\) and \({\mathcal Q}\). Then \({\mathcal R}\) refines the nonzero product family \((P_\alpha Q_\beta)\). Hence that product family is the coarsest packet system that refines both \({\mathcal P}\) and \({\mathcal Q}\).
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Proof of Proposition 3.11
Let \(R_\gamma\) be a packet in \({\mathcal R}\). Because \({\mathcal R}\) refines \({\mathcal P}\), there is a unique \(\alpha\) with
Likewise there is a unique \(\beta\) with
Therefore
Every packet of \({\mathcal R}\) lies in one product packet. Multiplying \(\sum_\gamma R_\gamma=I_X\) by \(P_\alpha Q_\beta\) and using the parent identities gives
Thus the packets with the same pair of parents reconstruct the product packet. If that product packet is nonzero, the sum has a child, so the parent map onto the supported product family is surjective.
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Example 3.12: A two level split
Let
Assume that all four summands are nonzero. The four coordinate projections form a fine packet system. The two sums
form a coarse packet system. If \(x=(x_{00},x_{01},x_{10},x_{11})\), the coarse coordinates are
when the sums are interpreted inside the two coarse direct summands. Fine analysis recovers the four entries exactly. Nothing has been approximated.
4 Residue coordinates and coprime factorization
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Residue packets sort a formal series by the congruence classes of its exponents. This construction works over every coefficient ring. The character formula describes the same selectors through an operator average and needs stronger hypotheses.
Definition 4.1: Residue selector
Let \(R\) be a commutative ring and let
For \(N\geq1\) and \(0\leq j<N\), define
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Proposition 4.2: Residue packet algebra
For every commutative ring \(R\), the operators \((P_{N,j})_{0\leq j<N}\) satisfy the identities below. If \(R\) is nonzero, they form a packet system on \(R[[z]]\):
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Proof of Proposition 4.2
Every nonnegative integer belongs to one residue class modulo \(N\). A coefficient survives both \(P_{N,i}\) and \(P_{N,j}\) exactly when the two labels are equal to its residue. Summing all selectors preserves every coefficient once.
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4.1 Finite orthogonality certificates
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The coefficient-mask definition of \(P_{N,j}\) also makes sense over a commutative semiring: it only retains or sets coefficients to zero. We use that same definition in the following semiring statement.
Let \(U\) act on coefficient sequences by
If \(\omega^N=1\), then \(U^N=I\).
Theorem 4.3: Root-of-unity realization
Let \(R\) be a commutative semiring, let \(N>0\), and suppose \(\omega,\omega^\vee,\eta\in R\) satisfy \(\omega^N=1\) and the finite \(N\times N\) Fourier orthogonality table
Then
In particular, if \(R\) is a field, \(N>0\), and \(\omega\) is a primitive \(N\)th root of unity, the certificate holds with \(\omega^\vee=\omega^{-1}\) and \(\eta=N^{-1}\).
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Proof of Theorem 4.3
On the monomial \(z^n\), the right-hand side acts by
The identity \(\omega^N=1\) reduces this expression to the table entry indexed by \(r=n\bmod N\). The finite certificate therefore gives exactly the coefficient mask defining \(P_{N,j}\). Over a field, the primitive-root geometric sum supplies the certificate.
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The field or orthogonality condition is essential. A primitive element of order \(N\) in a ring with zero divisors does not by itself force the geometric sums away from the diagonal to vanish. For example, in \(\mathbb F_3\times\mathbb F_3\) the element \((-1,1)\) has order two, but the second component of its nontrivial character sum is nonzero. The coefficient selector uses no division and remains valid without any Fourier certificate. This distinction becomes decisive at the dyadic prime.
4.2 The field specialization
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Theorem 4.4: Character realization
Let \({\Bbbk}\) be a field, assume that \(N\) is nonzero in \({\Bbbk}\), and suppose that \({\Bbbk}\) contains a primitive \(N\)th root of unity \(\omega\). Define
Then
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Proof of Theorem 4.4
On \(z^n\), the right side acts by the scalar
This is one when \(n\equiv j\pmod N\) and zero otherwise by the geometric sum identity in the field \({\Bbbk}\).
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Remark 4.5: Two distinct constructions
The coefficient selector of Definition 4.1 uses no division. The character formula in Theorem 4.4 divides by \(N\). At a prime that divides \(N\), the coefficient selector may remain integral even when the character average does not.
Theorem 4.6: Nested residue refinement
Let \(N,M\) be positive integers with \(N\) dividing \(M\), and let \(0\leq j<N\). Then
When \(R\) is nonzero, the packet system modulo \(M\) refines the packet system modulo \(N\).
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Proof of Theorem 4.6
An exponent \(n\) satisfies \(n\equiv j\pmod N\) exactly when its unique residue \(s\) modulo \(M\) satisfies \(s\equiv j\pmod N\).
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Example 4.7: The shift graph of residue packets
Assume that \(R\) is nonzero and \(N>0\). Multiplication by \(z\) sends the residue packet \(P_{N,j}R[[z]]\) into \(P_{N,j+1}R[[z]]\), where the index is read modulo \(N\). Its packet graph is the directed cycle
Multiplication by a polynomial supported on a set of residues gives the corresponding finite set of phase shifts. This is the simplest transfer graph behind a polyphase representation.
Theorem 4.8: Coprime factorization
Let \(A\) and \(B\) be coprime positive integers. For each \(j\) modulo \(AB\), write
Then
Every pair \((j_A,j_B)\) occurs for one residue \(j\) modulo \(AB\).
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Proof of Theorem 4.8
A coefficient survives the product on the right exactly when its exponent satisfies both congruences. The Chinese remainder theorem gives one residue class modulo \(AB\) with those two coordinates. The needed form of the theorem is standard and may be found in [Lang2002].
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Corollary 4.9: Dyadic and odd coordinates
Write \(N=2^aM\) with \(M\) odd. Every residue packet modulo \(N\) is the product of one packet modulo \(2^a\) and one packet modulo \(M\).
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Proof of Corollary 4.9
Apply Theorem 4.8 to the coprime moduli \(2^a\) and \(M\).
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Example 4.10: Residues modulo twelve
The pair
corresponds to \(j=7\) modulo \(12\). Hence
This factorization concerns addresses. It does not say that the two factors have the same integral spectral behavior.
