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The foundations of quantum mechanics have been revitalized in the past few decades by three developments: (i) the influence of quantum computation and quantum information theory (ii) studies of the interplay between quantum theory and relativity particularly the analysis of indefinite causal structure and (iii) proposals to reconstruct quantum theory from basic axioms. There have also been very interesting developments in understanding and classifying no=locality and contextuality using tools from sheaf theory and cohomology as well as operator algebras and category theory.
The International Congress of Mathematical Physics is a natural forum for the discussion of these topics. In the past there have been satellite workshops on topics like “Operator algebras and quantum statistical mechanics” which also address fundamental issues. The modern study of quantum foundations is very much influenced and informed by mathematics: sheaf theory and cohomology, category theory, information theory, convex analysis in addition to the continuing interest in operator algebras and functional analysis.
The aim of the workshop is to bring together researchers who have made substantial contribution to the recent developments. The workshop will be held at Perimeter Institute over a five day period from July 30th to August 3rd, 2018.
Registration for this event is now closed.
- Jonathan Barrett, University of Oxford
- Bob Coecke, University of Oxford
- Bianca Dittrich, Perimeter Institute
- Tobias Fritz, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences
- Philipp Hoehn, Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information
- Adrian Kent, University of Cambridge
- Matthew Leifer, Chapman University
- Yeong-Cherng Liang, National Cheng Kung University
- Nuriya Nurgalieva, ETH Zurich
- Robert Oeckl, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- Ognyan Oreshkov, Universite Libre de Bruxelles
- Paolo Perinotti, Universita degli Studi di Pavia
- Ana Belen Sainz, Perimeter Institute
- Lev Vaidman, Tel Aviv University
- Dominic Verdon, University of Oxford
- Alexander Wilce, Susquehanna University
- Aida Ahmadzadegan, University of Waterloo & Perimeter Institute
- Philippe Allard Guerin, University of Vienna
- Joseph Bramante, Queens University & Perimeter Institute
- Peter Bruza, Queensland Universityof Technology
- Justin Dressel, Chapman University
- Nicholas Gauguin Houghton-Larsen, University of Copenhagen
- Jose Raul Gonzalez Alonso, Chapman University
- Sasha Greenfield, Chapman University
- Aaron Grisez, Chapman University
- Meenu Kumari, University of Waterloo
- Marco Letizia, University of Waterloo & Perimeter Institute
- Robin Lorenz, University of Oxford
- Robert Mann, University of Waterloo & Perimeter Institute
- Martin Plavala, Slovak Academy of Sciences
- Sacha Schwarz, University of Waterloo
- Andrei Shieber, Perimeter Institute
- Barak Shoshany, Perimeter Institute
- Jamie Sikora, Perimeter Institute
- Michel Vittot, Centre de Physique Theorique
- Mordecai Waegell, Chapman University
- Scott Walck, Lebanon Valley College
- Peter Wittek, University of Toronto
- Michelle Xu, Perimeter Institute
Monday, July 30, 2018
Time |
Event |
Location |
9:15 – 9:45am |
Registration |
Reception |
9:45 – 10:00am |
Lucien Hardy, Perimeter Institute |
Bob Room |
10:00 – 11:00am |
Jonathan Barrett, University of Oxford |
Bob Room |
11:00 – 11:30pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
11:30 – 12:30pm |
Paolo Perinotti, Universita degli Studi di Pavia |
Bob Room |
12:30 – 2:30pm |
Lunch |
Bistro – 2nd Floor |
2:30 – 3:30pm |
Robert Oeckl, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
Bob Room |
3:30 – 4:00pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
4:00 – 5:00 pm |
Tobias Fritz, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences |
Bob Room |
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Time |
Event |
Location |
10:00 - 11:00am | Ana Belen Sainz, Perimeter Institute Almost quantum correlations violate the no-restriction hypothesis |
Bob room |
11:00 – 11:10am |
Conference Photo |
TBA |
11:10 – 11:30pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
11:30 – 12:30pm |
Yeong-Cherng Liang, National Cheng Kung University |
Bob Room |
12:30 – 2:30pm |
Lunch |
Bistro – 2nd Floor |
2:30 – 3:30pm |
Alexander Wilce, Susquehanna University |
Bob Room |
3:30 – 4:00pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
4:00 – 5:00pm |
Discussion 1 |
Bob Room |
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Time |
Event |
Location |
10:00 – 11:00am |
Philipp Hoehn, Institute for Quantum Optics & Quantum Information |
Bob Room |
11:00 – 11:30pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
11:30 - 12:30pm | Bianca Dittrich, Perimeter Institute Observables and (no) time in quantum gravity |
Bob Room |
12:30 – 2:30pm |
Lunch |
Bistro – 2nd Floor |
2:30 – 3:30pm |
Matthew Leifer, Chapman University |
Bob Room |
3:30 – 4:00pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
4:00 – 5:00pm |
Discussion 2 |
Bob Room |
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Time |
Event |
Location |
10:00 – 11:00am |
Dominic Verdon, University of Oxford |
Bob Room |
11:00 – 11:30pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
11:30 – 12:30pm |
Bob Coecke, University of Oxford |
Bob Room |
12:30 – 2:30pm |
Lunch |
Bistro – 2nd Floor |
2:30 – 3:30pm |
Adrian Kent, University of Cambridge |
Bob Room |
3:30 – 4:00pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
4:00 – 5:00pm |
Discussion 3 |
Bob Room |
6:00pm onwards |
Banquet |
Bistro – 2nd Floor |
Friday, August 3, 2018
Time |
Event |
Location |
10:00 – 11:00am |
Ognyan Oreshkov, Universite Libre de Bruxelles |
Bob Room |
11:00 – 11:30pm |
Coffee Break |
Bistro – 1st Floor |
11:30 – 12:30pm |
Lev Vaidman, Tel Aviv University |
Bob Room |
12:30 – 2:30pm |
Lunch |
Bistro – 2nd Floor |
2:30 – 3:30pm |
Nuriya Nurgaliva, ETH Zurich |
Bob Room |
Jonathan Barrett, University of Oxford
Quantum causal models
From a brief discussion of how to generalise Reichenbach’s Principle of the Common Cause to the case of quantum systems, I will develop a formalism to describe any set of quantum systems that have specified causal relationships between them. This formalism is the nearest quantum analogue to the classical causal models of Judea Pearl and others. At the heart of the classical formalism lies the idea that facts about causal structure enforce constraints on probability distributions in the form of conditional independences. I will describe a quantum analogue of this idea, which leads to a quantum version of the three rules of Pearl’s do-calculus. If time, I will end with some more speculative remarks concerning the significance of the work for the foundations of quantum theory.
Bob Coecke, University of Oxford
From quantum to cognition in pictures.
Observers as Primitives
Let us suppose that we are trying to build a physical theory of the universe, in order to do so, we have to introduce some primitive notions, on which the theory will be based upon. We explore possible candidates that can be considered to be such "primitives": for example, the structure of the spacetime, or quantum states. However, the examples can be given such that show that these notions are not as objective as we would want them to be.
Counterfactual communication protocols
Possibility to communicate between spatially separated regions, without even a single photon passing between the two parties, is an amazing quantum phenomenon. The possibility of transmitting one value of a bit in such a way, the interaction-free measurement, was known for quarter of a century.
Time-delocalized quantum subsystems and operations: on the existence of processes with indefinite causal structure in quantum mechanics
It was recently found that it is theoretically possible for there to exist higher-order quantum processes in which the operations performed by separate parties cannot be ascribed a definite causal order. Some of these processes are believed to have a physical realization in standard quantum mechanics via coherent control of the times of the operations. A prominent example is the quantum SWITCH, which was recently demonstrated experimentally.
Models and Tests of Quantum Theory and Gravity
Models that have some but not all features of standard quantum theory can be valuable in several ways, as Bell, Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber-Pearle, Hardy, Spekkens and many others have shown. One is to illuminate quantum theory and shed light on possible reaxiomatisations or reformulations. Another is to suggest experiments that might confirm some untested aspect of quantum theory or point the way to a new theory. I discuss here some models that combine quantum theory and gravity and experimental tests.
From quantum to cognition in pictures.
For well over a decade, we developed an entirely pictorial (and formally rigorous!) presentation of quantum theory [*]. At the present, experiments are being setup aimed at establishing the age at which children could effectively learn quantum theory in this manner. Meanwhile, the pictorial language has also been successful in the study of natural language, and very recently we have started to apply it to model cognition, where we employ GPT-alike models. We present the key ingredients of the pictorial language language as well as their interpretation across disciplines.
A compositional approach to quantum functions, and the Morita theory of quantum graph isomorphisms
Certain nonlocal games exhibiting quantum advantage, such as the quantum graph homomorphism and isomorphism games, have composable quantum strategies which are naturally interpreted as structure-preserving functions between finite sets. We propose a natural compositional framework for noncommutative finite set theory in which these quantum strategies appear naturally, and which connects nonlocal games with recent work on compact quantum groups.
Measures of Preparation Contextuality
In a large medical trial, if one obtained a ridiculously small p-value like 10^-12, one would typically move from a plain hypothesis test to trying to estimate the parameters of the effect. For example, one might try to estimate the optimal dosage of a drug or the optimal length of a course of treatment. Tests of Bell and noncontextuality inequalities are hypotheses tests, and typical p-values are much lower than this, e.g. 12-sigma effects are not unheard of and a 7-sigma violation already corresponds to a p-value of about 10^-12.
Observables and (no) time in quantum gravity
I will explain the special requirements that observables have to satisfy in quantum gravity and how this affects deeply the notion of time. I will furthermore explore how the search for observables in classical gravity can inform the construction of a quantum theory of gravity.
Quantum reference systems: Where foundations meets gravity
Quantum foundations and (quantum) gravity are usually considered independently. However, I will demonstrate by means of quantum reference systems how tools and perspectives from quantum gravity can help to solve problems in quantum foundations and, conversely, how quantum foundation perspectives can be useful to constrain spacetime structures.
Discussion 1
Pages
Scientific Organizers:
- Lucien Hardy, Perimeter Institute
- Markus Mueller, Perimeter Institute & Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Vienna
- Prakash Panangaden, McGill University
- Robert Spekkens, Perimeter Institute
Scientific Organizing Committee:
- Lucien Hardy, Perimeter Institute
- Ravi Kunjwal, Perimeter Institute
- Denis Rosset, Perimeter Institute
- Nitica Sakharwade, Perimeter Institute
- John Selby, Perimeter Institute
- Robert Spekkens, Perimeter Institute
- Elie Wolfe, Perimeter Institute