What is the difference between quantum "system", "register" and "Hilbert space"?

As far as I can tell, these terms are interchangeable but I am not sure of this.

What is meant by each of the terms "quantum system", "quantum register" and "Hilbert space" in the context of quantum information?

1 Answer

A Hilbert space is a well-defined mathematical object, namely, it is a (usually complex) vector space equipped with an inner product, that is complete with respect to the associated topology. In the finite-dimensional case, these are all isomorphic to some $$\mathbb C^n$$.

A quantum system is not a mathematical term, and thus probably doesn't have a universally accepted mathematical definition. It just generally refers to a physical system that is being described using the quantum mechanical formalism. It is often interchangeable with quantum state, although I'd say the former is used to refer more generally to the physical object, while the latter to the possible states the system can be in. You can mentally identify a quantum system with the Hilbert space you use to describe its possible states, if you wish.

A quantum register is the same as a quantum system, but the term is generally preferred in computational-related contexts.