3,268 research outputs found
Abstract Tensor Systems as Monoidal Categories
The primary contribution of this paper is to give a formal, categorical
treatment to Penrose's abstract tensor notation, in the context of traced
symmetric monoidal categories. To do so, we introduce a typed, sum-free version
of an abstract tensor system and demonstrate the construction of its associated
category. We then show that the associated category of the free abstract tensor
system is in fact the free traced symmetric monoidal category on a monoidal
signature. A notable consequence of this result is a simple proof for the
soundness and completeness of the diagrammatic language for traced symmetric
monoidal categories.Comment: Dedicated to Joachim Lambek on the occasion of his 90th birthda
Physics, Topology, Logic and Computation: A Rosetta Stone
In physics, Feynman diagrams are used to reason about quantum processes. In
the 1980s, it became clear that underlying these diagrams is a powerful analogy
between quantum physics and topology: namely, a linear operator behaves very
much like a "cobordism". Similar diagrams can be used to reason about logic,
where they represent proofs, and computation, where they represent programs.
With the rise of interest in quantum cryptography and quantum computation, it
became clear that there is extensive network of analogies between physics,
topology, logic and computation. In this expository paper, we make some of
these analogies precise using the concept of "closed symmetric monoidal
category". We assume no prior knowledge of category theory, proof theory or
computer science.Comment: 73 pages, 8 encapsulated postscript figure
Symmetry, Compact Closure and Dagger Compactness for Categories of Convex Operational Models
In the categorical approach to the foundations of quantum theory, one begins
with a symmetric monoidal category, the objects of which represent physical
systems, and the morphisms of which represent physical processes. Usually, this
category is taken to be at least compact closed, and more often, dagger
compact, enforcing a certain self-duality, whereby preparation processes
(roughly, states) are inter-convertible with processes of registration
(roughly, measurement outcomes). This is in contrast to the more concrete
"operational" approach, in which the states and measurement outcomes associated
with a physical system are represented in terms of what we here call a "convex
operational model": a certain dual pair of ordered linear spaces -- generally,
{\em not} isomorphic to one another. On the other hand, state spaces for which
there is such an isomorphism, which we term {\em weakly self-dual}, play an
important role in reconstructions of various quantum-information theoretic
protocols, including teleportation and ensemble steering. In this paper, we
characterize compact closure of symmetric monoidal categories of convex
operational models in two ways: as a statement about the existence of
teleportation protocols, and as the principle that every process allowed by
that theory can be realized as an instance of a remote evaluation protocol ---
hence, as a form of classical probabilistic conditioning. In a large class of
cases, which includes both the classical and quantum cases, the relevant
compact closed categories are degenerate, in the weak sense that every object
is its own dual. We characterize the dagger-compactness of such a category
(with respect to the natural adjoint) in terms of the existence, for each
system, of a {\em symmetric} bipartite state, the associated conditioning map
of which is an isomorphism
Causal categories: relativistically interacting processes
A symmetric monoidal category naturally arises as the mathematical structure
that organizes physical systems, processes, and composition thereof, both
sequentially and in parallel. This structure admits a purely graphical
calculus. This paper is concerned with the encoding of a fixed causal structure
within a symmetric monoidal category: causal dependencies will correspond to
topological connectedness in the graphical language. We show that correlations,
either classical or quantum, force terminality of the tensor unit. We also show
that well-definedness of the concept of a global state forces the monoidal
product to be only partially defined, which in turn results in a relativistic
covariance theorem. Except for these assumptions, at no stage do we assume
anything more than purely compositional symmetric-monoidal categorical
structure. We cast these two structural results in terms of a mathematical
entity, which we call a `causal category'. We provide methods of constructing
causal categories, and we study the consequences of these methods for the
general framework of categorical quantum mechanics.Comment: 43 pages, lots of figure
Quantum Picturalism
The quantum mechanical formalism doesn't support our intuition, nor does it
elucidate the key concepts that govern the behaviour of the entities that are
subject to the laws of quantum physics. The arrays of complex numbers are kin
to the arrays of 0s and 1s of the early days of computer programming practice.
In this review we present steps towards a diagrammatic `high-level' alternative
for the Hilbert space formalism, one which appeals to our intuition. It allows
for intuitive reasoning about interacting quantum systems, and trivialises many
otherwise involved and tedious computations. It clearly exposes limitations
such as the no-cloning theorem, and phenomena such as quantum teleportation. As
a logic, it supports `automation'. It allows for a wider variety of underlying
theories, and can be easily modified, having the potential to provide the
required step-stone towards a deeper conceptual understanding of quantum
theory, as well as its unification with other physical theories. Specific
applications discussed here are purely diagrammatic proofs of several quantum
computational schemes, as well as an analysis of the structural origin of
quantum non-locality. The underlying mathematical foundation of this high-level
diagrammatic formalism relies on so-called monoidal categories, a product of a
fairly recent development in mathematics. These monoidal categories do not only
provide a natural foundation for physical theories, but also for proof theory,
logic, programming languages, biology, cooking, ... The challenge is to
discover the necessary additional pieces of structure that allow us to predict
genuine quantum phenomena.Comment: Commissioned paper for Contemporary Physics, 31 pages, 84 pictures,
some colo
A bifibrational reconstruction of Lawvere's presheaf hyperdoctrine
Combining insights from the study of type refinement systems and of monoidal
closed chiralities, we show how to reconstruct Lawvere's hyperdoctrine of
presheaves using a full and faithful embedding into a monoidal closed
bifibration living now over the compact closed category of small categories and
distributors. Besides revealing dualities which are not immediately apparent in
the traditional presentation of the presheaf hyperdoctrine, this reconstruction
leads us to an axiomatic treatment of directed equality predicates (modelled by
hom presheaves), realizing a vision initially set out by Lawvere (1970). It
also leads to a simple calculus of string diagrams (representing presheaves)
that is highly reminiscent of C. S. Peirce's existential graphs for predicate
logic, refining an earlier interpretation of existential graphs in terms of
Boolean hyperdoctrines by Brady and Trimble. Finally, we illustrate how this
work extends to a bifibrational setting a number of fundamental ideas of linear
logic.Comment: Identical to the final version of the paper as appears in proceedings
of LICS 2016, formatted for on-screen readin
A universe of processes and some of its guises
Our starting point is a particular `canvas' aimed to `draw' theories of
physics, which has symmetric monoidal categories as its mathematical backbone.
In this paper we consider the conceptual foundations for this canvas, and how
these can then be converted into mathematical structure. With very little
structural effort (i.e. in very abstract terms) and in a very short time span
the categorical quantum mechanics (CQM) research program has reproduced a
surprisingly large fragment of quantum theory. It also provides new insights
both in quantum foundations and in quantum information, and has even resulted
in automated reasoning software called `quantomatic' which exploits the
deductive power of CQM. In this paper we complement the available material by
not requiring prior knowledge of category theory, and by pointing at
connections to previous and current developments in the foundations of physics.
This research program is also in close synergy with developments elsewhere, for
example in representation theory, quantum algebra, knot theory, topological
quantum field theory and several other areas.Comment: Invited chapter in: "Deep Beauty: Understanding the Quantum World
through Mathematical Innovation", H. Halvorson, ed., Cambridge University
Press, forthcoming. (as usual, many pictures
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