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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Edmund Harriss (University of Arkansas)
DTSTART:20240628T153000Z
DTEND:20240628T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/1
DESCRIPTION:Title: Mappings between abstract and physical spaces\nby Edmund Harri
ss (University of Arkansas) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nI
work as a mathematician and artist\, and within the Illustrating Mathemat
ics group\, at the heart of this work lie ideas about translation and mapp
ing between physical and abstract spaces\, in different ways to just model
ling. In particular thinking about ideas in art and mathematical illustrat
ion where physical spaces are being used to understand the abstract world
(rather than science that normally goes the other way). Images\, models an
d experiences can reveal aspects of the abstract that we do not yet unders
tand and thus drive research. I will introduce some ideas about this and t
hen open the question of how category theory might be useful to understand
ing the mapping and conversion that is happening between the abstract and
the physical and thus how it can be validated and potentially checked for
errors.\n\nThe talk will be moderated by Namista Tabassum who joined our c
omp math group recently. Namista is an interdisciplinary researcher and bu
siness advisor who has worked with diverse organizations in Canada and Ban
gladesh\, notably leading research projects and facilitating social impact
events. Her interest in mathematics and science communication stems from
her belief in compassionate mathematics\, bridging her passion for art and
logic to make complex concepts accessible and engaging.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/1/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Irfan Alam (U. Pennsylvania)
DTSTART:20240531T160000Z
DTEND:20240531T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/2
DESCRIPTION:Title: How will mathematics education change with the rise of A.I. tutors
?\nby Irfan Alam (U. Pennsylvania) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\n
Abstract\nI have been advising two students\, Tomas Nepala and Tunga Bayra
k\, who have created MotionShark\, which is a software that generates vide
o explanations of mathematical problems. This type of technology prompts s
ignificant questions about the future role of mathematics educators and th
e evolution of teaching methods. \n\nAfter Tomas and Tunga exhibit the cur
rent capabilities of their evolving technology\, I will give a presentatio
n on some challenges that I think the mathematics education community must
brace itself for in the wake of this type of technology. Navigating such
challenges requires an active input of mathematicians and this talk is mea
nt to start that conversation at an international level. I will share my v
ision on how to integrate this type of technology into lower-level mathema
tics classes in healthy ways\, and how I see the scope of such classes ada
pting and evolving in a future where I argue the context of mathematics wi
ll become more important to teach than actual methods of problem solving.
\n\nMy goal is to start this conversation that will hopefully keep going o
ffline after the talk has ended\, since we as a community ought to better
understand in a timely manner the directions in which mathematics educatio
n will change in the wake of this and similar technologies in near future.
\nThe talk will be moderated by Daniel Filonik who is a postdoc at Carneg
ie Mellon University (CMU) and foreign guest researcher at the National In
stitute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Daniel specializes in data vis
ualization and human computer interaction. His current work is focused on
natural interfaces for interactive data modeling and analysis with formal
foundations in category theory.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/2/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Niels Voorneveld (Cybernetica)
DTSTART:20240425T160000Z
DTEND:20240425T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/3
DESCRIPTION:Title: Relational Molecules: Using games to interact with formal structur
es\nby Niels Voorneveld (Cybernetica) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\
n\nAbstract\nI love video games\, and I love mathematics. For the longest
time\, I saw them as separate. But as time went on\, I realized their simi
larities: both define worlds besides our own which we can explore and inte
ract with. Combined\, games can give a powerful tool to learn about and pl
ay with mathematical structures in a non-standard way. In this talk\, we l
ook at an idea I have been thinking about in the past few months\, that of
the search for relational molecules. These are relations which look like
and share symmetries with molecules\, and are inspired by the works of 19t
h century philosopher Peirce. We look at examples of such molecules\, wher
e they may turn up\, and see how a simple game allows people to interact w
ith them to learn their behavior. After the talk\, we will have an open di
scussion about the ideas covered.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/3/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:David Spivak (Topos Institute)
DTSTART:20240802T153000Z
DTEND:20240802T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/4
DESCRIPTION:Title: How the Yoneda lemma applies\nby David Spivak (Topos Institute
) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nWhat is the relationship be
tween your web of concepts about the world and all the examples you've see
n of these concepts? And what is the relationship between a generic flower
and all the particular flowers or a generic bicycle and all the particula
r bicycles? A formal answer to this was given by Nobuo Yoneda in a private
letter to a founder of Category Theory\, Saunders Mac Lane\, and this ans
wer has become the most fundamental concept in category theory: the Yoneda
lemma.\n\nIn this talk\, I'll begin by explaining schemas and instances
—concept-webs and the system of examples that live in them—in terms of
categories C and set-valued functors F:C-->Set. Then I'll explain how eac
h concept (each node in the web) determines a generic instance: the generi
c flower\, the generic bicycle\, etc. \n\nSo given a concept\, how is the
generic instance of it related to all the other examples of it? The answer
is that the generic instance of flower can be overlaid perfectly onto any
particular flower\, and all its generic features will be given particular
values. This is the content of the Yoneda lemma: given any schema C and f
unctor (system of examples) F: C-->Set\, the Yoneda lemma says that "apply
ing F to concept c"\, i.e. the set of c-examples\, is the same as the set
of all ways that the generic instance for c can be overlaid onto the syste
m of examples. And this is how the Yoneda lemma "applies"!\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/4/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Nathan Haydon
DTSTART:20240830T153000Z
DTEND:20240830T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/5
DESCRIPTION:Title: Peirce's Existential Graphs and String Diagrams for First-Order Lo
gic\nby Nathan Haydon as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nThe
Existential Graphs are the result of C.S. Peirce's studies in the logic o
f relations and his concern for developing a better logical notation. In t
his talk I give an accessible introduction to Peirce's graphs that emphasi
zes the intuitions behind these notational choices and the resulting infer
ence rules. Along the way I discuss how Peirce's work has been the inspira
tion for recent advances in categorical logic and show examples of how the
graphs help us present and clarify some of our logical concepts.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/5/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Priyaa Varshinee Srinivasan (Tallinn University of Technology)
DTSTART:20241004T153000Z
DTEND:20241004T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/6
DESCRIPTION:Title: Communicating relational thinking\nby Priyaa Varshinee Sriniva
san (Tallinn University of Technology) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\n
Abstract\nI love math\, I love people and I am interested in how they both
interact. While being a postdoctoral fellow at the Topos Institute\, a
team of four including me published an online illustrated live-book on cat
egory theory -- which we termed as relational thinking for the purposes of
this book -- intended for a general STEM-oriented audience. We used story
-telling and leaned in on technology instead of formal symbols to communic
ate category theory. \n\nIn this talk\, I will outline the storyline of th
is book and also touch on the technology that made this book happen. This
project is joint work with Paul Dancstep\, Brendan Fong\, Angeline Aguinal
do\, Evan Patterson and many others behind the scenes. \n\nThe book is ava
ilable at https://toposinstitute.github.io/RelationalThinking-Book/cover.h
tml\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/6/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Karen Little
DTSTART:20241129T163000Z
DTEND:20241129T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/7
DESCRIPTION:Title: Exploring the math of awesome reversible knitting\nby Karen Li
ttle as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nI am an enthusiastic mat
hematician specializing in reversible knitting which is a branch of knitti
ng focussed on creating fabric that looks beautiful on both sides. This ta
lk will explore concepts\, definitions and axioms of reversible knitting.
We will start with the two fundamental knitting stitches\, venture into du
ality\, symmetry\, tiling and transformations and end with the “reversib
lest” stitch pattern known\, all in a Knitting Relatorium!\n\nAlthough n
o physical knitting experience is required or provided\, I will supplement
the talk with a selection of knitted fabrics as examples of each concept.
\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/7/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Ted Theodosopoulos (Nueva School)
DTSTART:20241025T153000Z
DTEND:20241025T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/8
DESCRIPTION:Title: Compassion as Composition\nby Ted Theodosopoulos (Nueva School
) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nWe propose that categorical
notions can be wielded to facilitate the “Yes\, and…” experience as
a tool for collaborative sense making\, as we explore mathematical ideas
and communicate our insights. Far from forbiddingly remote abstractions\,
categorical notions ground our emerging sense of unfamiliar terrains in r
elational thinking\, which interacts constructively with the narratives th
at populate our mental universe. In this talk we will grapple with ambigu
ity and co-create mutually reinforcing stories that carry meaning. The re
sulting experiences help situate mathematical ideas beyond the largely con
tingent symbols we use to express them.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/8/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Daniel Fiłonik
DTSTART:20241227T163000Z
DTEND:20241227T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/9
DESCRIPTION:Title: Hypercomplex Numbers: How I stopped worrying and learned to love m
ultilinear algebra (Part 1/2)\nby Daniel Fiłonik as part of Relatoriu
m seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nThis seminar will serve up a smorgasbord of ideas
revolving around the notion of hypercomplex numbers. Traditionally\, the
term hypercomplex number refers to an element of a finite-dimensional unit
al algebra over the field of real numbers. The hypercomplex numbers are st
epping stones to learning about Lie groups and group representation theory
.\n\nMy aim is to reframe some of the key underlying ideas in more modern
mathematical language by using multilinear algebra and string diagrams as
graphical notation\, while simultaneously keeping intact the original intu
ition of generalizing complex numbers. Ultimately\, I hope to motivate fur
ther exploration by showing several practical applications of hypercomplex
numbers in computer graphics and data visualization.\n\n\n\n** ==== **\n\
nThe talk will be moderated by Edmund Harriss. Edmund Harriss is a mathema
tician\, artist\, and assistant professor at the University of Arkansas. H
e is the discoverer of the Harriss spiral and the creator of the construct
ion toy Curvahedra. He is the coauthor of Hello Numbers\, What Can You Do?
and the coauthor and illustrator of two mathematical coloring books: Patt
erns of the Universe and Visions of the Universe.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/9/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Daniel Fiłonik
DTSTART:20250117T163000Z
DTEND:20250117T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/10
DESCRIPTION:Title: Hypercomplex numbers: How I stopped worrying and learned to love
multilinear algebra (Part 2/2)\nby Daniel Fiłonik as part of Relatori
um seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nThis seminar will serve up a smorgasbord of idea
s revolving around the notion of hypercomplex numbers. Traditionally\, the
term hypercomplex number refers to an element of a finite-dimensional uni
tal algebra over the field of real numbers. The hypercomplex numbers are s
tepping stones to learning about Lie groups and group representation theor
y.\n\nMy aim is to reframe some of the key underlying ideas in more modern
mathematical language by using multilinear algebra and string diagrams as
graphical notation\, while simultaneously keeping intact the original int
uition of generalizing complex numbers. Ultimately\, I hope to motivate fu
rther exploration by showing several practical applications of hypercomple
x numbers in computer graphics and data visualization.\n\n-----\n\nThe tal
k will be moderated by Ted Theodosopoulous. Ted is a mathematician who\, a
fter working for years in academia and industry\, transitioned to teaching
at the pre-college level fifteen years ago\, the last seven at Nueva\, wh
ere he teaches math and economics. Ted’s research background is in the
area of interacting stochastic systems\, with particular applications in b
iology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/10/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Matt Insall (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
DTSTART:20250228T163000Z
DTEND:20250228T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/11
DESCRIPTION:Title: Non-standard Methods and Universal Algebra\nby Matt Insall (M
issouri University of Science and Technology) as part of Relatorium semina
r\n\n\nAbstract\nThe subject of Universal Algebra (aka General Algebra) ha
s at its core a class of structures called “Algebras”. An algebra can
be thought of as a universe of discourse for a computer or calculator tha
t “runs” deterministic code\, because calculations in an algebra use f
unctions (in the mathematical sense\, no input has multiple outputs). Alge
bras can be organized into various types or “kinds”\, according to a f
ormal language that uses only universally quantified equations. The algebr
as form a kind of “semantic playground” for mathematicians\, and the e
quations can be thought of as a “syntactic grammar” for establishing
“rules of games” for any given section of the playground. At a higher
level\, one may study the relations and interactions between the rules (sy
ntax) and the algebras (semantics)\, and classes of algebras with certain
desirable properties. Some of the games use finite algebras as their sect
ion of the playground but others use infinite algebras. The study of infi
nite algebras can in some nice ways benefit from knowledge about finite al
gebras. The goal of this discussion will be to see how Nonstandard Methods
can be used to create new concepts in universal algebra\, mostly by “pl
aying” in two (generic) “playground sections”. One section is loose
ly called “the standard world”\, and the other is “the nonstandard w
orld”. Finite algebras we consider in the standard world are also finit
e algebras in the nonstandard world\, but some of the algebras viewed as
“finite” in the nonstandard world are extensions of infinite algebras
in the standard world\, so that from the standard perspective\, some “no
nstandardly finite” or “hyperfinite” algebras are infinite. Results
known about finite algebras in the standard world carry over to results ab
out hyperfinite algebras\, and can be used then to draw conclusions about
the standard algebras they extend. For example\, \n\nA standard algebra is
locally finite (each of its finitely generated subalgebras is finite) if
and only if it has a hyperfinite extension. \n\nOther properties of algebr
as (other than the property of being finite) in the standard world have no
nstandard analogues as well\, and we can use this general framework to “
create” new properties of algebras in the standard world. Hopefully\, wi
th audience participation\, we will be able to create such a property that
is new (to us\, at least). \n\nReferences:\n\nHurd\, Albert E.\; Loeb\,
Peter A. An introduction to nonstandard real analysis. Pure and Applied Ma
thematics\, 118. Academic Press\, Inc.\, Orlando\, FL\, 1985.\n\nStanley N
. Burris\, Stanley N.\; H.P. Sankappanavar\, H. P. A Course in Universal A
lgebra\, https://www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~snburris/htdocs/ualg.html\n\nInsal
l\, M. (1991)\, Nonstandard Methods and Finiteness Conditions in Algebra.
Mathematical Logic Quarterly\, 37: 525-532. https://doi.org/10.1002/malq.1
9910373303\n\n------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------\n\nThe talk will be moderated by Irfan Alam
. Irfan is a mathematician\, abstract artist\, and aspiring philosopher. H
e currently works as a postdoctoral fellow in the department of Computer a
nd Mathematical Sciences at University of Toronto Scarborough. Irfan’s r
esearch background is in the area of nonstandard analysis\, especially in
its applications to other areas of mathematics such as probability theory
and topology.\n\nMatt Insall studied chemical engineering (BS\, 1986) and
mathematics (BS\, 1985) at University of Houston\, doing a MS (1987) and P
hD (1989) with Professor Klaus Kaiser\, also at University of Houston. He
taught mathematics in Rolla\, Missouri\, at Missouri University of Science
and Technology (S&T) from 1989 to 2024 and has now retired. He and his wi
fe have four children\, two step grandsons\, two grandsons\, and two grand
daughters. Dr. Insall’s research career has included solo and collaborat
ive projects in mathematics and its applications\, mainly with colleagues
in various departments at S&T. He is currently on a courtesy appointment
in the S&T mathematics and statistics department\, finishing work with PhD
students. In retirement he is continuing to learn mathematics and its app
lications\, following some current events\, continuing some writing projec
ts in mathematics\, and enjoying meeting new people over coffee or online\
, to discuss mathematics and education and science.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/11/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Rem (Simuli\, Inc.)
DTSTART:20250328T153000Z
DTEND:20250328T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/12
DESCRIPTION:Title: Deconstructivist Mathematics\nby Rem (Simuli\, Inc.) as part
of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nI work as a mathematical developer an
d are currently interested in fully relational models of computations.\n\n
In this talk\, we will explore the relationship between mathematical intui
tion and formal rigor\, delving into the philosophical and structural foun
dations of mathematics. The main aim is to examine the process of formaliz
ing mathematical intuitions\, highlighting how this process can itself be
formalized within a mathematical framework. The layers of abstraction offe
red by Category Theory mirror the progression from computational to concep
tual reasoning. We start from apparent dichotomies appearing in diverse fi
elds of knowledge\, such as axiomatic versus structural foundations of mat
hematics. We then go over the impact and implications of the crisis of fou
ndations\, the role of circularity in mathematical reasoning\, and the imp
ortance of fostering alternative approaches to learning and teaching mathe
matics. Through allegories\, metaphors\, and analogies\, we illustrate how
mathematical concepts can be represented and understood in different cont
exts\, emphasizing the interconnectedness of mathematical ideas. We conclu
de by advocating for a holistic view of mathematics\, one that transcends
traditional dichotomies and embraces the dynamic\, evolving nature of math
ematical thought.\n\nThis talk is aimed at both mathematicians and philoso
phers\, offering a deep dive into the structural and philosophical underpi
nnings of mathematics\, while also providing practical insights into the d
evelopment and teaching of mathematical concepts.\n\nModerator: The talk w
ill be moderated by Nathan Haydon. Nathan is a philosopher working on meth
ods of reasoning in logic and science. Much of his work is inspired by Cha
rles S. Peirce\, including Peirce’s pragmatism and Peirce’s formal dev
elopments in diagrammatic logic. Along these lines\, Nathan has most recen
tly been working on the logic of string diagrams. Finally\, Nathan is also
interested in the broader ethical and meta-ethical positions that follow
from scientific reasoning.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/12/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:C.B. Wells
DTSTART:20250425T153000Z
DTEND:20250425T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/13
DESCRIPTION:Title: Holdea: Visual Logic Interface\nby C.B. Wells as part of Rela
torium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nThere is a simple visualization of logic: re
lations of types are nodes with ports\, equalities are wires connecting po
rts\, conjunction is juxtaposition\, negation is wrapping in an opposite c
olor\, and entailment is nesting of nodes. This describes the string diagr
ams of a self-dual cartesian bifibered category\, which models a first-ord
er logic. \n\nI'm creating an interface for visual logic - a user connects
data\, tables become nodes in the canvas\, and they can form predicates a
nd rules just by manipulating nodes and wires. It's in the early stage\, b
ut the core is established: the visualization generates a prolog query in
the side panel\, executes\, and returns results in the bottom panel. I'll
demonstrate\, explain some background theory and implementation\, and then
open discussion.\n\nModerator: The talk will be moderated by Nathan Haydo
n. Nathan is a philosopher working on methods of reasoning in logic and sc
ience. Much of his work is inspired by Charles S. Peirce\, including Peirc
e’s pragmatism and Peirce’s formal developments in diagrammatic logic.
Along these lines\, Nathan has most recently been working on the logic of
string diagrams. Finally\, Nathan is also interested in the broader ethic
al and meta-ethical positions that follow from scientific reasoning.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/13/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Shaowei Lin
DTSTART:20250530T153000Z
DTEND:20250530T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/14
DESCRIPTION:Title: Refine yourself a code for great good!\nby Shaowei Lin as par
t of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nHow do you code? Andrej Karpathy wh
o coined the term "vibe coding\," says that for professional coding tasks\
, he picks single concrete incremental changes and\, with AI assistance\,
plans them\, executes them\, and evaluates them. Refinement is the process
of making incremental changes. It is not just the primary way we design a
nd construct code\, but also how we repair them and upgrade them\, often c
ollaboratively with other coders\, designers and users.\n\nThe central obj
ects in refinement are partially implemented programs. Partial programs ar
e examples of open systems - each has a formal external specification (e.g
. a function type) and an implementation with internal holes which are als
o formally specified. Partial proofs\, such as those manipulated by the pr
oof assistants\, are also examples of open systems. Open systems compose b
y refinement or hole-filling\, where a typed hole can only be filled by an
open system of the right spec. An open system in some representation can
also be translated (transported\, projected or lifted) to some open system
in another representation. In fact\, open systems\, with their refinement
s and translations\, form a double category!\n\nIn this talk\, I hope to s
hare some concrete examples of this refinement-centric approach in formal
verification\, program synthesis and theorem proving. I believe that this
approach can help us to leverage AI assistance in coding\, to decentralize
and democratize coding\, and to build safe\, secure and sustainable softw
are systems.\n\nModerator: The talk will be moderated by Daniel Filonik. D
aniel specializes in data visualization and human computer interaction. Hi
s recent work focused on natural interfaces for interactive data modeling
and analysis with formal foundations in category theory.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/14/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Broni Czarnocha and Malgorzata Marciniak (Hostos CC of the City Un
iversity of New York and LaGuardia CC of the City University of New York)
DTSTART:20250627T153000Z
DTEND:20250627T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/15
DESCRIPTION:Title: The interplay between two opposing perspectives on creativity
\nby Broni Czarnocha and Malgorzata Marciniak (Hostos CC of the City Unive
rsity of New York and LaGuardia CC of the City University of New York) as
part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nIn our presentation\, we will ex
plore a dialogue between two somewhat contrasting perspectives on creativi
ty. One speaker will present the concept of Teaching-Research as a manifes
tation of creative practice\, while the other will examine the interplay b
etween the conscious and subconscious mind\, highlighting both the boundar
ies and the connections that shape the creative process.\n\nBroni: Creativ
ity of Mathematics Teaching-Research.\nIn general\, creativity\, and espec
ially the creativity of Aha! Moment (called bisociation by Koestler (1964t
)) takes a place within two unconnected matrices of thought joined togethe
r by the insight. Czarnocha and Baker (2021) abstracted these two matrices
to the concept of the bisociative frame\, and we used it as the tool to f
ind areas of enhanced creativity within different theories and practices o
f teaching.\nTeaching and research constitute such a frame\, taking into a
ccount a very meager connection between them\, and because of that the cre
ative TR methodology is so promising. The presentation will provide an exa
mple of creativity while practicing TR methodology.\n\nMalgorzata: Creativ
ity as a collaboration between conscious and subconscious\nIn my work\, cr
eativity is viewed as a dynamic\, cyclical process involving alternating p
hases of conscious and subconscious activity. This aligns with Graham Wall
as’ stages: preparation\, incubation\, illumination\, and reflection\, o
utlined in The Art of Thought (Wallace\, 1926). Over time\, this cycle mir
rors the state of flow described by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Creativity:
Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention (1996). Conscious phas
es involve deliberate effort\, analysis\, and reflection\, while subconsci
ous phases are more elusive\, yet crucial. The most intriguing moments occ
ur during spontaneous shifts between phases\, when conscious and subconsci
ous processes interact\, offering insights that feel both intentional and
mysteriously emergent.\n\nThis conversation will be moderated by Ted Theod
osopoulos. Ted is a mathematician who\, after working for years in academ
ia and industry\, transitioned to teaching at the pre-college level sixtee
n years ago\, the last eight at Nueva\, where he teaches math and economic
s. Ted’s research background is in the area of interacting stochastic s
ystems\, with particular applications in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/15/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Ted Chinburg (University of Pennsylvania)
DTSTART:20250725T153000Z
DTEND:20250725T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/16
DESCRIPTION:Title: Long term effects of university teaching practices\nby Ted Ch
inburg (University of Pennsylvania) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbs
tract\nIn this talk I'll discuss some teaching practices that are not popu
lar with students but which can lead to better test scores at the end of a
semester. This brings up the question of the long term harm to student m
otivation produced by such practices. At the end I'll suggest some norms
for university departments engaged in debates about teaching.\n\n\nModerat
or: Irfan Alam\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/16/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Brendan Fong (Topos Institute)
DTSTART:20250829T153000Z
DTEND:20250829T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/17
DESCRIPTION:Title: Abstractions for Real People\nby Brendan Fong (Topos Institut
e) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nComputing is built on abst
ractions. Abstractions forget details\, so that we can focus on what is im
portant. What happens\, however\, when we forget something of value? I arg
ue that certain risks and fears around AI today result from action informe
d by abstractions that diverge from what matters in their context of use.
Moreover\, I suggest that building better societal practices of abstractio
n is a task to which mathematicians – especially category theorists –
are well placed to contribute. To begin a conversation\, I envision a prac
tice of abstraction that prizes accessibility\, responsiveness\, and plura
lism. I'll illustrate this practice via ongoing work at Topos\, especially
our collaborative modelling platform CatColab.\n\nbio: Brendan Fong serve
s as the founding chief executive of Topos Institute\, an international re
search nonprofit building tools for collective sense-making. He is co-auth
or of textbook An Invitation to Applied Category Theory\, serves on the st
eering committee of the Adjoint School\, served as a founding executive ed
itor of the open access journal Compositionality\, and co-directed the Ina
ugural Singapore Conference on AI for the Global Good. He received a DPhil
in Computer Science from Oxford\, with postdoctoral training at UPenn and
MIT.\n\nModerator bio: The talk will be moderated by Priyaa Varshinee Sri
nivasan. Priyaa is a postdoctoral fellow at the Tallinn University of Tech
nology\, and a former colleague of Brendan (the speaker). She specializes
in applied category theory specializing in quantum sciences. Her vision is
for everyone to experience the joy of mathematics in their own way.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/17/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Danielle Bowerman (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
DTSTART:20250912T153000Z
DTEND:20250912T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/18
DESCRIPTION:Title: Extension Monads: Some Structure Theorems\nby Danielle Bowerm
an (Missouri University of Science and Technology) as part of Relatorium s
eminar\n\n\nAbstract\nTo some extent\, this presentation follows the semin
ar titled "Non-standard Methods and Universal Algebra" by Matt Insall pres
ented back in February. In this presentation\, we take algebraic structure
s---a pair consisting of (1) a set of elements to compute upon and (2) a s
et of computational instructions\, called algebras heretofore---into the n
onstandard setting. This process can both enlarge and endense said algebra
\, often causing new elements to appear both "far away" from and "in betwe
en" the elements of the original algebra\, while preserving all of the sam
e logical properties of the original. \n\nThe additional elements are ofte
n clustered around directly mapped elements from the standard (original) s
etting. In the case of these algebras\, we define a third structure\, the
extension monad\, of the elements that are very close to the original alge
bra. This extension monad is\, as a set\, in between the standard and nons
tandard version of the algebra and while not logically identical\, capture
s the local behavior of the computational instructions\, known as operatio
ns.\n\nBio: Danielle Bowerman studied mathematics at Evangel University an
d earned a bachelor of science in 2019. She then went on to join a mathema
tics PhD program as a Chancellor's Distinguished Fellow at the Missouri Un
iversity of Science and Technology and expects her PhD in the fall of 2025
. She taught a few sections of College Algebra at some point.\n\nModerator
: This talk will be moderated by Matt Insall. Matt Insall is a mathematici
an\, father of four (two sons and two daughters)\, and grandfather of fou
r boys and two girls. He’s written poems and a song\, and performs occas
ionally at open mic events. Matt retired in September 2024 from his positi
on in the faculty of the Missouri University of Science and Technology Dep
artment of Mathematics and Statistics after 35 years in that position.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/18/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Antonio Vassallo (Warsaw University of Technology)
DTSTART:20250926T153000Z
DTEND:20250926T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/19
DESCRIPTION:Title: Rethinking Reality without Space and Time\nby Antonio Vassall
o (Warsaw University of Technology) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbs
tract\nThis talk explores a Leibnizian/Machian perspective on physics in w
hich space\, time\, and intrinsic properties are not fundamental\, but eme
rgent from an underlying web of relations. Drawing on the framework of Pur
e Shape Dynamics and the metaphysics of self-subsisting structures\, I wil
l argue that physical reality can be fully described without appealing to
external backgrounds or absolute quantities. Instead\, what persists are e
volving patterns of relational quantities that together form a coherent\,
self-contained structure. This shift not only reframes familiar concepts l
ike identity\, locality\, and entanglement\, but also invites us to recons
ider the ontological status of temporality itself as a product of internal
perspective within an undivided whole.\n\nSpeaker bio: Antonio Vassallo i
s Assistant Professor at the Warsaw University of Technology. His research
lies at the intersection of philosophy and fundamental physics\, with a f
ocus on relational approaches to space\, time\, and quantum theory. He hol
ds a MSc in physics from the University of Catania and a PhD in philosophy
from the Universities of Lausanne and Warsaw. He has held research positi
ons in Switzerland\, Spain\, and Poland. Among his publications is the edi
ted volume "The Foundations of Spacetime Physics: Philosophical Perspectiv
es" (Routledge\, 2022).\n\nModerator: This talk is moderated by Ted Theodo
sopoulos. Ted is a mathematician who\, after working for years in academia
and industry\, transitioned to teaching at the pre-college level sixteen
years ago\, the last eight at Nueva\, where he teaches math and economics.
Ted’s research background is in the area of interacting stochastic syst
ems\, with particular applications in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/19/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Nick Watters (MIT)
DTSTART:20251017T153000Z
DTEND:20251017T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/20
DESCRIPTION:Title: How can we understand the neural basis of thought?\nby Nick W
atters (MIT) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nNeuroscience is
undergoing a technological revolution\, a “Moore’s Law” for neural r
ecording that is allowing us to measure the activity of the brain at ever-
increasing resolution. However\, simply recording neural activity does not
tell us how the brain works. To understand how the brain works\, we must
construct models that connect neural activity to interpretable principles
of thought. This modeling becomes increasingly important as we tackle more
abstract\, cognitive types of thought that arise from the coordinated act
ivity of large populations of neurons. In this talk\, I’ll discuss appro
aches to modeling such large-scale neural activity. I’ll focus primarily
on one cognitive domain: Our ability to predict the kinematics of moving
objects. We use this ability regularly in daily life\, from catching a bal
l to crossing a busy street. I’ll present neural data recorded from subj
ects predicting the kinematics of moving objects\, introduce a modeling pa
radigm for interpreting this data\, and discuss the implications of the ne
ural latent variables this modeling effort reveals. I’ll conclude by sha
ring an optimistic outlook on the future of systems neuroscience and specu
lation about potential implications for artificial intelligence.\n\nSpeake
r bio: Nick Watters is a postdoctoral associate at MIT studying the neural
basis of cognition and motor control in the Jazayeri lab\, where he was a
PhD student beforehand. Prior to joining MIT\, he worked at Google DeepMi
nd as a research engineer\, studying unsupervised visual structure-learnin
g and sample-efficient reinforcement learning. Prior to joining DeepMind\,
he was an undergraduate at Harvard studying math\, computer science\, and
neurobiology.\n\nModerator: This talk is moderated by Ted Theodosopoulos.
Ted is a mathematician who\, after working for years in academia and indu
stry\, transitioned to teaching at the pre-college level sixteen years ago
\, the last eight at Nueva\, where he teaches math and economics. Ted’s
research background is in the area of interacting stochastic systems\, wit
h particular applications in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/20/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Theo McKenzie (Stanford University)
DTSTART:20251031T153000Z
DTEND:20251031T163000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/21
DESCRIPTION:Title: The Quantum Chaos of Real-World Networks\nby Theo McKenzie (S
tanford University) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nModern sc
ience increasingly relies on predictions derived from massive\, interconne
cted data sets—from social networks to neural activity to the internet.
To understand these complex systems\, we must move beyond surface-level co
rrelations and uncover the fundamental principles that govern their struct
ure and dynamics. Surprisingly\, a fruitful way to analyze these networks
is to use the framework created to study atoms in quantum systems. In this
talk\, I will discuss recent progress in analyzing large networks through
the lens of spectral graph theory and quantum chaos. This perspective rev
eals deep connections between randomness\, geometry\, and statistical phys
ics\, allowing us to prove sharp results about the universal behavior of l
arge networks. I’ll trace the development of these ideas from classical
spectral graph theory to modern advances inspired by quantum chaotic syste
ms\, and highlight how these methods provide new tools for distinguishing
order from noise in complex data. I’ll conclude by discussing open quest
ions and emerging directions at the intersection of network science\, prob
ability\, and mathematical physics.\n\nSpeaker bio: Theo McKenzie is a pos
tdoctoral fellow at Stanford University studying probability theory throug
h the lens of random graphs. Specifically\, he studies the relationship be
tween the spectral geometry of graphs and quantum chaos. Previously\, he w
as a PhD student at Berkeley and a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard. \n\nMod
erator: This talk is moderated by Ted Theodosopoulus. Ted is a mathematici
an who\, after working for years in academia and industry\, transitioned t
o teaching at the pre-college level sixteen years ago\, the last eight at
Nueva\, where he teaches math and economics. Ted’s research background i
s in the area of interacting stochastic systems\, with particular applicat
ions in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/21/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Bob Coecke (University of Oxford)
DTSTART:20251114T163000Z
DTEND:20251114T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/22
DESCRIPTION:Title: Kindergarten Quantum Mechanics\, now for real!\nby Bob Coecke
(University of Oxford) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nOver
some 20 years we have developed a diagrammatic quantum formalism\, sometim
es referred to as quantum picturalism\, or categorical quantum mechanics.
We have written two books on it [2\, 3]. This project was in part initia
ted in a talk some 20 years ago\, with the title Kindergarten Quantum Mech
anics [1]. Two things have happened since:\n\n(1) We showed that this form
alism enabled secondary school students to perform exceptionally well on a
n Oxford University post-grad quantum exam\, as reported in The Guardian/O
bserver [4]. Almost 50% of the students obtained a distinction\, and 80%
passed [5]. Those numbers are better than typical Oxford University MSc s
tudents. In Greece quantum picturalism is already used to teach quantum a
t secondary school level\, and several other countries are in the process
of doing so too.\n\n(2) John von Neumann himself who denounced `his own’
quantum formalism\, that relies on Hilbert space. Alternatives had been
proposed\, including by von Neumann himself\, but none play a role in quan
tum theory today. On the other hand\, quantum picturalism is now widespr
ead in quantum industry\, with applications including circuit optimisation
and error-correction\, with Peter Shor among the proponents. The formali
sm is also used as the basis for interpretable AI\, and even music [6]. \
n\nHence quantum picturalism has succeeded in providing an alternative for
malism for quantum\, with several advantages over the usual formalism\, be
it as an educational tool\, an engineering tool\, or a vehicle to explore
applications in new areas.\n\n[1] Bob Coecke (2006) Kindergarten quantum
mechanics. Quantum Theory: Reconstructions of the Foundations III. AIP Co
nference Proceedings. Vol. 810. No. 1. American Institute of Physics.\n\n[
2] Bob Coecke & Aleks Kissinger (2017) Picturing Quantum Processes. Cambr
idge University Press.\n\n[3] Bob Coecke & Stefano Gogioso (2022) Quantum
in Pictures. Quantinuum.\n\n[4]https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/de
c/16/physicist-bob-coecke-its-easier-to-convince-kids-than-adults-about-qu
antum-mechanics\n\n[5] Selma Dündar-Coecke\, Caterina Puca\, Lia Yeh\, Ha
mza Waseem\, Emmanuel Pothos\, Thomas Cervoni\, Sieglinde M-L. Pfaendler\,
Vincent Wang-Maścianica\, Peter Sigrist\, Ferdi Tomassini\, Vincent Ana
ndraj\, Ilyas Khan\, Stefano Gogioso\, Aleks Kissinger\, & Bob Coecke (20
25). Making the quantum world accessible to young learners through Quantum
Picturalism: An experimental study. arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.01013.\n\n[
6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7q7n8TYPdo\n\n---------\n\nSpeaker Bio
: Professor Coecke is a theoretical physicist and logician\, and a former
Chief Scientist at Quantinuum\, leading its Quantum-Compositional Intellig
ence (QCI) research team. He is also Distinguished Visiting Research Chair
at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics\, Emeritus Professor at Wo
lfson College\, Oxford University\, and a Visiting Fellow at the Computer
Science Department and the Mathematical Institute of Oxford University.\n\
nHe is a founding father of the QPL (Quantum Physics and Logic) and ACT (A
pplied Category Theory) communities\, of the diamond-open-access journal C
ompositionality\, and Cambridge University Press' Applied Category Theory
book series. \n\nHe is best known for pioneering a simple\, picture-based
approach to quantum mechanics—sometimes called “Kindergarten Quantum M
echanics”—that allows anyone to grasp quantum ideas with no formal bac
kground in mathematics.\n\nhttps://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/bob.coecke/\n\nB
ob Coecke\n\nWolfson College Oxford\, Perimeter Institute\n\n--------\n\nM
oderator: The talk will be moderated by Priyaa Varshinee Srinivasan. Priya
a is a postdoctoral fellow at the Tallinn University of Technology researc
hing categorical quantum mechanics. Her vision is for everyone to experien
ce the joy of mathematics in their own way. She has co-authored a live dig
ital book titled “Relational thinking: from abstractions to applications
” which reveals the thought-process behind creating mathematics (categor
y theory) using story-telling\, illustrations\, and visualization of compu
tations. The material is available at https://toposinstitute.github.io/Rel
ationalThinking-Book/cover.html.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/22/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Pawel Sobocinski (Tallinn University of Technology)
DTSTART:20251128T163000Z
DTEND:20251128T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/23
DESCRIPTION:Title: How I fell in love with string diagrams\nby Pawel Sobocinski
(Tallinn University of Technology) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbst
ract\nI will talk about a research adventure I had 10 years ago\, rediscov
ering linear algebra with string diagrams\, and resulting in the blog Grap
hical Linear Algebra and the paper Interacting Hopf Algebras in collaborat
ion with Filippo Bonchi and Fabio Zanasi. This was followed by several sub
sequent papers and PhD theses that developed the theory further. But more
importantly than blogs and papers\, it was one of the most fun experiences
that I’ve had with research. Along the way I discovered some fun little
mathematical facts\, some of which I’ll share in this talk.\n\nSpeaker
Bio: Pawel Sobocinski is Professor of Trustworthy Software Technologies at
the Tallinn University of Technology. He leads the Laboratory for Composi
tional Systems and Methods. He takes part in CHESS\, the Cyber-security Ex
cellence Hub in Estonia and South Moravia\, funded by the European Commiss
ion. He is also a TalTech PI of EXAI\, the Estonian Centre of Excellence i
n Artificial Intelligence\, financed by the Estonian Ministry of Education
and Research. He is also the author of the blog series on Graphical Linea
r Algebra (linear algebra through string diagrams) --- https://graphicalli
nearalgebra.net/. \n\nModerator: The talk will be moderated by Priyaa Vars
hinee Srinivasan. Priyaa is a postdoctoral fellow at the Tallinn Universit
y of Technology researching categorical quantum mechanics. Her vision is f
or everyone to experience the joy of mathematics in their own way. She has
co-authored a live digital book titled “Relational thinking: from abstr
actions to applications” which reveals the thought-process behind creati
ng mathematics (category theory) using story-telling\, illustrations\, and
visualization of computations. The book can be found at https://toposinst
itute.github.io/RelationalThinking-Book/cover.html.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/23/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:David Stern (IDEMS International)
DTSTART:20251212T163000Z
DTEND:20251212T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/24
DESCRIPTION:Title: Impact Activating Mathematics\nby David Stern (IDEMS Internat
ional) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nThis talk will discuss
experiences of Mathematicians who have immersed themselves in supporting
positive social impact. Concrete examples will be given which highlight th
e value of being present in the room\, listening and adding value with bas
ic skills. It will also present how taking such a service approach can sur
prisingly lead to abstractions which pose questions which seem categorical
in nature. \n\nThe talk will also highlight the value of a collaborative
service approach\, when working as a transdisciplinary mathematician\, whi
ch is often in opposition with competitive nature of Mathematics in our ed
ucation systems. This observation will lead to a discussion about whether
there is a different approach to education in the Mathematical Sciences wh
ich could transform societal perceptions.\n\nSpeaker bio: David is a mathe
matical scientist who holds a PhD in Algebraic Geometry. David spent his f
ormative years in Niger\, where he was exposed to the generosity of famili
es and the power of community best practices and networks for those in ext
reme poverty.\n\nDavid worked in business\, writing software for banks\, b
efore tuning to a career in social impact. He embedded in a Kenyan univers
ity as a lecturer on a local salary. There he experienced first-hand the i
nnumerable inequalities faced by talented individuals in low-resource envi
ronments.\n\nIn this African context\, David first turned his mathematical
skills to impact innovation to support digital and data inclusion in unde
rserved environments and developed the collaborative innovation best pract
ices that underpin IDEMS.\n\nModerator: This talk is moderated by Ted Theo
dosopoulus. Ted is a mathematician who\, after working for years in academ
ia and industry\, transitioned to teaching at the pre-college level sixtee
n years ago\, the last eight at Nueva\, where he teaches math and economic
s. Ted’s research background is in the area of interacting stochastic sy
stems\, with particular applications in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/24/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The Relatorium Group
DTSTART:20260116T163000Z
DTEND:20260116T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/25
DESCRIPTION:Title: Looking back at 2025\nby The Relatorium Group as part of Rela
torium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nAfter a rich second year of Relatoria\, and
on the heels of a third successful in-person session\, at the recent Joint
Mathematics Meetings in Washington\, DC\, we are taking a look back at 20
25 in our first Open Mic event. We invited our speakers back\, to join us
for a conversation about the lessons of compassionate mathematics. What
have we learned collectively from the Relatorium experience? What themes
emerge as connecting principles across the talks? How are the success and
challenges of the year guiding our hopes for the future?\n\nSpeakers: The
Relatorium Group\n\nThe Relatorium Group is a collective of more than a d
ozen researchers and practitioners in mathematics\, computer science and p
hilosophy from around the world. We have been exploring innovative modali
ties for communicating\, teaching and learning mathematics. Our approach u
ses tools inspired from Applied Category Theory (ACT)\, which focuses broa
dly on the relational aspects of mathematics. We seek to leverage computat
ional environments organized around principles of compositionality to supp
ort the perspectives of the learner in mathematical experiences.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/25/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mike Titelbaum
DTSTART:20260130T163000Z
DTEND:20260130T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/26
DESCRIPTION:Title: Topological obstacles to shared priors\nby Mike Titelbaum as
part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nGiven a finite collection of pro
bability measures defined on subsets of a measurable space\, how can we de
termine if they are compatible\, in the sense that they can be realized as
conditional distributions of a single probability measure on the full spa
ce? This formulation of the consistency problem for conditional probabilit
ies is significant in Bayesian epistemology and probabilistic reasoning\,
as it describes the conditions under which a collection of agents can reac
h agreement by sharing information. We derive a necessary and sufficient c
ondition under which joint compatibility is equivalent to pairwise compati
bility. This condition is stated in terms of the cohomology of a simplicia
l complex constructed from the given probability measures\, exposing a nov
el application of algebraic topology to Bayesian reasoning.\n\nSpeaker Bio
: Michael G. Titelbaum is a Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in t
he Department of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He ha
s published Quitting Certainties and Fundamentals of Bayesian Epistemology
\, both with Oxford University Press. He received a PhD in Philosophy fro
m the University of California\, Berkeley in 2008. Before doing that\, he
was a high school math teacher for four years.\n\n\nModerator: Ted Theodo
sopoulos.\nTed is a mathematician who\, after working for years in academi
a and industry\, transitioned to teaching at the pre-college level sixteen
years ago\, the last eight at Nueva\, where he teaches math and economics
. Ted’s research background is in the area of interacting stochastic sys
tems\, with particular applications in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/26/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Gabriele Carcassi (University of Michigan)
DTSTART:20260213T163000Z
DTEND:20260213T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/27
DESCRIPTION:Title: Open problems in Physical Mathematics\nby Gabriele Carcassi (
University of Michigan) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nPart
of our larger Assumptions of Physics research program\, the aim of Physica
l Mathematics is to develop a set of basic mathematical starting points wi
th a clear and tight physical justification that can serve as a foundation
for all physical theories. The idea is to have a shared notion of states
and processes that can generalize features and theorems common to all phys
ical theories\, while finding the specific ones through addition of furthe
r physical assumptions. We will give a short overview of the approach and
then focus on open problems and mathematical conjectures to foster discuss
ion. In particular\, we will see how a physical theory must at least provi
de a space of ensembles that must have a T_0 second countable topology\, a
convex structure and an entropy. We will see how we can already show that
the interplay between this structure constrains the space\, leading to co
nstructions that find connection to many areas (e.g. measure theory\, Choq
uet theory\, information geometry\, orthogonality spaces\, quantum logic\,
...) and we conjecture whether these axioms can already show that an ense
mble space is a bounded subset of a locally convex metrizable topological
vector space\, or further conditions must be found.\n\nSpeaker bio: \nGabr
iele Carcassi is a researcher in the physics department of the University
of Michigan. Together with prof. Christine A. Aidala\, he leads a research
program called Assumptions of Physics ( https://assumptionsofphysics.org
) that aims to find a minimum set of physical assumptions from which the l
aws can be rigorously rederived.\n\nModerator: Ted Theodosopoulos.\nTed is
a mathematician who\, after working for years in academia and industry\,
transitioned to teaching at the pre-college level sixteen years ago\, the
last eight at Nueva\, where he teaches math and economics. Ted’s researc
h background is in the area of interacting stochastic systems\, with parti
cular applications in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/27/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Tai-Danae Bradley (SandboxAQ)
DTSTART:20260227T163000Z
DTEND:20260227T173000Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/28
DESCRIPTION:Title: What is a good quantum encoding?\nby Tai-Danae Bradley (Sandb
oxAQ) as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\nOne aim of quantum mach
ine learning is to determine whether quantum computers can provide advanta
ges over traditional machine learning. This exploration depends on how cla
ssical data is encoded onto a quantum computer\, a choice that can vary si
gnificantly from one learning task to another. Recent studies have demonst
rated that identifying relevant mathematical structures in the data can yi
eld valuable insights into what constitutes a good encoding choice. In thi
s talk\, I will introduce these concepts from a high level and explain how
viewing them through a category-theoretic lens can offer a general\, yet
principled\, perspective on designing quantum encodings that preserve math
ematical structure.\n\nSpeaker bio:\nTai-Danae Bradley is a mathematician
and creator at SandboxAQ\, a startup company focused on AI and quantum tec
hnologies\, and a visiting research professor of mathematics at The Master
’s University. She has a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Cente
r and spent time as a postdoctoral researcher at X\, The Moonshot Factory
(Google X) before joining SandboxAQ. She is the creator of the mathematics
blog Math3ma\, as well as a coauthor of the graduate-level textbook Topol
ogy: A Categorical Approach and a former co-host of the PBS YouTube channe
l “Infinite Series”. Her research interests include category theory\,
machine intelligence\, and quantum physics.\n\n\nModerator: Ted Theodosopo
ulos\nTed is a mathematician who\, after working for years in academia and
industry\, transitioned to teaching at the pre-college level sixteen year
s ago\, the last eight at Nueva\, where he teaches math and economics. Ted
’s research background is in the area of interacting stochastic systems\
, with particular applications in biology and economics.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/28/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Irfan Alam\, Daniel Reinholz\, Sarah Tillman
DTSTART:20260320T153000Z
DTEND:20260320T164500Z
DTSTAMP:20260404T110645Z
UID:CompMath/29
DESCRIPTION:Title: Panel on "Neurodiversity in Mathematics"\nby Irfan Alam\, Dan
iel Reinholz\, Sarah Tillman as part of Relatorium seminar\n\n\nAbstract\n
Several fundamental mathematical discoveries across history were made by m
athematicians who would likely identify with some sort of neurodivergence\
, had they grown up in the present time when our understanding of differen
t neurotypes and associated "invisible" disabilities is more refined and w
ell-understood. While our society does value the numerous scientific contr
ibutions of neurodivergent scholars\, it has a tendency to do so by puttin
g them on a pedestal\, by stereotyping them as something akin to a "mad ge
nius". Learning about historical role models who achieved the highest acad
emic success (for example\, Newton\, Erdős\, etc.) can create a sense of
pride in the minds of young aspiring neurodivergent scholars\, but it is n
ot realistic to aim to be the next Newton or the next Erdős. From the poi
nt of view of disability advocacy within mathematical practice\, it is imp
ortant to create an approach that celebrates neurodiversity without puttin
g it on an unrealistic pedestal. Therefore\, on the occasion of Neurodiver
sity Celebration Week\, we bring together a group of neurodivergent mathem
aticians to share their personal testimonies about how their neurodivergen
t identities impacted their academic pursuits. Our dialogue aims to celebr
ate neurodiversity in mathematics\, while being mindful about identifying
the barriers to entry that many neurodivergent people face\, so that we ca
n work toward a vision of future mathematical practice that is more inclus
ive and less ableist.\n\n\nPanelists' bios: \nIrfan Alam is an autistic ma
thematician\, currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at University of
Toronto Scarborough. Irfan’s mathematical focus is on applications of no
nstandard analysis to standard mathematics\, especially in probability the
ory\, topology\, and lately in the foundations of machine learning. He als
o works on the philosophy of mathematical practice\, with particular inter
ests in the history of infinitesimals and in epistemic injustices in mathe
matics caused by various socio-cultural norms. Since Fall 2022\, he has be
en on the autistic research advisory board of the "Autism in Context" lab
at the University of Delaware. \n\nDaniel L. Reinholz is a Professor of Ma
thematics and Statistics at San Diego State University. Dr. Reinholz engag
es in transformative research on classroom equity in postsecondary mathema
tics. This work has been organized around the development of the EQUIP too
l\, which generates actionable data to illuminate subtle patterns of class
room participation that result in inequities (by race\, gender\, disabilit
y\, etc.). These data can be incorporated into robust professional learnin
g opportunities through equity learning communities that support instructo
rs to transform their teaching. As an autistic and multiply disabled acade
mic\, Dr. Reinholz is involved in disability organizing\, and is a co-foun
der of "Sines of Disability". Dr. Reinholz has published over 75 refereed
journal articles\, and is the author of the recent book\, "Equitable and E
ngaging Mathematics Teaching: A Guide to Disrupting Hierarchies in the Cla
ssroom". Dr. Reinholz’s second solo-authored book\, "Equity Learning Com
munities"\, was published by Harvard Education Press in Fall 2025. Dr. Rei
nholz also has a forthcoming book on disability in the history of mathemat
ics\, to be published with 619 Wreath later this year.\n\nSarah Tillman is
a neurodivergent and disabled independent scholar with a master's degree
in applied mathematics. Since 2019 she has been on the Autistic research a
dvisory board of the "Autism in Context" lab at the University of Delaware
. As part of this work she has co-authored two papers\, one published in "
Autism" and the other in "Multiple Voices".\n\n\nModerator bio: Namista Ta
bassum (MBA) is a neurodivergent person of colour\, and an interdisciplina
ry researcher with 10+ years of experience working across business researc
h\, policy analysis\, communications\, and operational strategy. She's cur
rently the Labour Market Specialist at WorkLink Employment Society\, where
she applies cross-sector research to inform evidence-based programs and s
trategic communication tools. Her work focuses on translating complex data
into practical insights that support decision-making in research\, commun
ity\, and organizational contexts.\n
LOCATION:https://stable.researchseminars.org/talk/CompMath/29/
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