[Settfa] Fwd: [Logic-seminar] Yuri Gurevich, Friday 13:30

[Wieslaw Kubis (CAS)]

Dear Colleagues,

I allowed myself to forward you the announcement below. As many of you 
know, I'm quite influenced by category theory, therefore I find this 
talk of a particular interest.

Best wishes,
Wieslaw



-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: [Logic-seminar] Yuri Gurevich, Friday 13:30
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2019 15:35:02 +0200 (CEST)
From: Pavel Pudlak <pudlak at math.cas.cz>
To: logic-seminar at math.cas.cz


Yuri Gurevich will give a talk on our complexity seminar this Friday.

Pavel Pudlak

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Who needs category theory?

Yuri Gurevich, University of Michigan


Mathematicians use category theory, at least some of them do. In fact 
category theory is instrumental in some branches of mathematics, e.g. 
algebraic topology. But what about computer scientists or physicists? Do 
they need category theory?

If category theory is your hammer, some computing problems look like 
appropriate nails. However the speaker was not impressed and remained 
skeptical about the use of category theory in computer science. When he 
learned that the generally accepted mathematical basis for topological 
quantum computing is sophisticated category theory, he proposed to his 
long-time collaborator Andreas Blass to "decategorize" topological 
quantum computing.

It turned out, surprisingly, that category theory or something like it 
is necessary for topological quantum computing. Moreover the root cause 
of the necessity is not specific to topological quantum computing. There 
should be numerous other computing problems where something like category
theory is necessary. Understanding the root cause allowed us to simplify 
the mathematical basis for the topological quantum computing and to 
decategorize it to the extent possible.

In the main part of the talk, without assuming any knowledge of category 
theory or quantum computing, we illustrate, on a simplified example, why 
category theory or something like it is necessary for topological 
quantum computing.



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