TUESDAY, November 3

IQI Seminar, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM, 105 Annenberg
"Categorically isolating quantum properties," Chris Heunen, University of Oxford.

Abstract:

One benefit of using categories as semantics for quantum physics is the ability to isolate qualitative properties that are responsible for quantum behaviour. As an example, we axiomatically define Hilbert categories. The name is justified by proving an embedding theorem: any Hilbert category whose monoidal unit is a simple generator embeds into the category of Hilbert spaces and continuous linear functions, preserving tensor products, adjoint morphisms and all finite (co)limits. In particular, complex numbers emerge without having been prescribed explicitly.