PierGianLuca Porta Mana

Research Interests

Current research topics include:

- fundamental physics, ie statistical continuum relativistic electromagneto-thermo-mechanics;
- geometrical structure of statistical models and state-assignment prescription;
- relationship between coarser-finer theory pairs;
- connexion between Newtonian mechanics and general relativity;
- quantization of Julio Iglesias;
- connexion between thermodynamics and statistical mechanics;
- plausibility logic and maximum entropy.

Positions Held

• 2008-now Quantum Foundations group, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Canada; post-doctoral fellow
• 2007-2008 Non-Linear Physics research group, Ume? universitet, Sweden; post-doctoral researcher
• 2002-2007 Quantum Electronics and Optics group, KTH, Stockholm; Ph.D. student
• 2002-2002 Quantum Electronics and Optics group, KTH, Stockholm; collaborator
• 2001-2002 Institutionen f?r teoretisk fysik, KTH, Stockholm; graduate student

Recent Publications

• G. Brodin, M. Marklund, J. Zamanian, Å. Ericsson, P. G. L. Mana; Effects of the g factor in semiclassical kinetic plasma theory; Phys. Rev. Letters 101 (2008) 245002; arxiv: 0809.2382
• G. Björk, P. G. L. Mana: A size criterion for macroscopic superposition states; J. Opt. B 6 (2004) 429; arxiv: quant-ph/0310193
• P. G. L. Mana: Consistency of the Shannon entropy in quantum experiments; Phys. Rev. A 69 (2004) 62108; arxiv: quant-ph/0302049
• P. G. L. Mana: Consistency of the Shannon entropy in quantum experiments; Virtual J. Quantum Inf. 4 (2004); arxiv: quant-ph/0302049
• M. Cadoni and P. G. L. Mana: Hamiltonians for a general dilaton gravity theory on a spacetime with a non-orthogonal, timelike or spacelike outer boundary; Class. Quant. Grav. 18 (2001) 779; arxiv: gr-qc/0011010
• P.G.L. Porta Mana and Peter G. Lewis: On two recent conjectures in convex geometry (2011) arxiv: 1105.4641
• P.G.L. Porta Mana: Conjectures and questions in convex geometry: of interest for quantum theory and other physical statistical theories (2011) arxiv: 1105.3238
• P.G.L. Porta Mana: Notes on afï¬?ne and convex spaces (2011) arxiv: 1104.0032
• P.G.L. Porta Mana: In favour of the time variable in classical thermodynamics (2010) arxiv: 1012. 3091
• P. G. L. Mana: On the relation between plausibility logic and the maximum-entropy principle: a numerical study (2009), arxiv: 0911.2197
• P. G. L. Porta Mana, A. M?nsson, G. Bj?rk: The Laplace-Jaynes approach to induction (2007), arxiv: 0703126, http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00003338
• A. M?nsson, P. G. L. Porta Mana, G. Bj?rk: Numerical Bayesian state assignment for a quantum three-level system. II. Average-value data; constant, Gaussian-like, and Slater priors (2007), arxiv: quant-ph/0701087
• A. M?nsson, P. G. L. Porta Mana, G. Bj?rk: Numerical Bayesian state assignment for a three-level quantum system. I. Absolute-frequency data; constant and Gaussian-like priors (2006), arxiv: quant-ph/0612105
• P. G. L. Porta Mana, A. M?nsson, G. Bj?rk: 'Plausibilities of plausibilities': an approach through circumstances (2006), arxiv: quant-ph/0607111
• P. G. L. Mana, A. M?nsson, G. Bj?rk: On distinguishability, orthogonality, and violations of the second law: contradictory assumptions, contrasting pieces of knowledge (2005), arxiv: 0505229
• P. G. L. Mana: Distinguishability of non-orthogonal density matrices does not imply violations of the second law (2004), arxiv: quant-ph/0408193
• P. G. L. Mana: Why can states and measurement outcomes be represented as vectors? (2003), arxiv: quant-ph/0305117
• G. Björk, P. G. L. Mana: Schrödinger-cat states: size classification based on evolution or dissipation; in Proceedings SPIE: Fluctuations and Noise in Photonics and Quantum Optics II, vol. 5478 (2004) pp. 335-343.
• P. G. L. Mana: Probability tables; in A. Yu. Khrennikov, ed.: Quantum Theory: Reconsideration of Foundations - 2 (Växjö University Press, Växjö, Sweden, 2004), pp. 387-401; arxiv: quant-ph/0403084
• P. G. L. Porta Mana: Studies in plausibility theory, with applications to physics (2007), Ph.D. thesis, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Stockolm. http://www.tp.umu.se/~mana/
• P. G. L. Mana: Asymptotic symmetries of anti-de Sitter space in two and three dimensions (2000), Università di Cagliari, Italy. http://www.tp.umu.se/~mana/

Seminars

• A critique of the maximum-entropy principle by one of its supporters, talk at the 31st International Workshop on Bayesian Inference and Max- imum Entropy Methods in Science and Engineering â??MaxEnt 2011â??, Waterloo, Canada (2011)
• A historical review of the 'convex approach' to quantum theory, and an overview of the 'probability table' formalism: Operational probabilistic theories as foils to quantum theory, Cambridge University.
• Plausibility theory as inductive logic, Stockholms universitet.
• A review on non-completely-positive maps and evolution of non-isolated quantum systems, KTH, Stockholm.
• Gravitomagnetism, and inertia as a real force. (With an appendix on the effects of weightlessness on the human body), KTH, Stockholm.
• Probability theory as an extension of formal logic, KTH, Stockholm.
• P. G. L. Porta Mana, G. Bj?rk (speaker): Uncertainty, information and entropy, Ninth International Conference on Squeezed States and Uncertainty Relations, Besan?on, France.
• Non-orthogonality of statistical matrices and violations of the second law of thermodynamics, KTH, Stockholm.
• Probability tables: the convex approach to quantum theory; Quantum Theory: Reconsideration of Foundations -- 2, V?xj? universitet
• Notes on entropy assignments, statistical mechanics, and convex sets, for classical and quantum mechanics, Stockholms universitet.
• A panoramic picture of modern rational thermodynamics and thermomechanics, KTH, Stockholm.
• In between classical and quantum systems: Visualising the convex properties of sets of states and measurements, KTH, Stockholm
• In between classical and quantum systems: Visualising the convex properties of sets of states and measurements, Stockholms universitet
• On experimental data tables, sets of states and measurement outcomes, distinguishability, and the boundary between classical and quantum systems, KTH, Stockholm.
• Maximum-entropy method in statistical mechanics and negative temperatures, KTH, Stockholm.
• Conceptual adequacy of the Shannon entropy in quantum measurements, Universit? di Cagliari.
• Conceptual adequacy of the Shannon entropy in quantum measurements, KTH, Stockholm
• Reproduction of quantum phenomena by a deck of cards, Universit? di Cagliari.
• Reproduction of quantum phenomena by a deck of cards, KTH, Stockholm
• Tomography of quantum states, Universita di Cagliari.
• Tomography of quantum states, KTH, Stockholm
• Runge-Kutta methods for nonlinear differential equations and Hopf algebras, KTH, Stockholm.
• PIRSA:11050024, Vectors and affine forms, straight and twisted, 2011-05-24, Quantum Foundations
• PIRSA:08020037, Metaphysical deductions and assumptions in quantum and classical physics, 2008-02-13, Perimeter Institute Quantum Discussions