Subject: [Depfis] Ciclo de Charlas sobre Fundamentos de la Física y de la Computación

From: "Sebastian \"el fune\" Fortin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 13 May 2015 14:05:08 -0300

Ciclo de Charlas sobre Fundamentos de la Física y de la Computación.
Organizado por el Grupo de Filosofía de la Ciencia dirigido por la Dra.
Olimpia Lombardi.

Lunes 18 de Mayo 15 hs: *Adan Cabello*, Universidad de Sevilla, “Quantum
contextuality: Theory, experiments, applications and implications”.

Lunes 18 de Mayo 16:30 hs: *Robert Spekkens*, Perimeter Institute for
Theoretical Physics, “The invasion of physics by information theory”.

Martes 19 de Mayo 16 hs: *Armond Duwell*, University of Montana,
“Desiderata for an analysis of computation”.

Las charlas se realizaran en el Pabellón II de la FCEN, Planta Baja. Aula
de seminario. 18 y 19 de Mayo de 2015. A continuación se pueden encontrar
los abstracts.

Lunes 18 de Mayo 15 hs. Adan Cabello, Universidad de Sevilla

“Quantum contextuality: Theory, experiments, applications and implications”.

In quantum theory, marginal probabilities are "non-contextual", that is,
independent of the set of compatible observables they are extracted from.
However, quantum probabilities cannot be explained assuming that
measurements reveal pre-existent non-contextual information. This is what
we call "contextuality". It can be quantified by the violation of
experimentally testable inequalities, similar to Bell inequalities,
involving correlations between the results of compatible measurements.
Quantum theory violates these inequalities only up to some specific limits
which, quite surprisingly, are connected to graph theory. We will discuss
how this connection may explain these limits and shed some light on what
does quantum theory really mean.

Lunes 18 de Mayo 16:30 hs. Robert Spekkens, Perimeter Institute for
Theoretical Physics

“The invasion of physics by information theory”

Many revolutions in physics have been preceded by the discovery of a novel
perspective on an existing physical theory. The discovery of least-action
principles, symmetry principles, and thermodynamic principles are good
historical examples. Information-theoretic principles may well play a
similar role in physics today. To make the case for this idea, I will
discuss some of the highlights of two resource theories: the resource
theory of asymmetry, which characterizes the relations among quantum states
that break a symmetry; and the resource theory of athermality, which
characterizes the relations among quantum states that deviate from thermal
equilibrium. In particular, I will discuss how Noether's theorem does not
capture all of the consequences of symmetries of the dynamics, and how the
second law of thermodynamics does not capture all of the constraints on
thermodynamic transitions. Finally, I will show that both asymmetry and
athermality are informational resources, and that rehabilitated versions of
Noether's theorem and the second law can both be understood as constraints
on information processing. Considerations such as these---as well as
evidence from other fronts of the invasion---make a compelling case for the
revolutionary cause of reconceiving physics from an information-theoretic
perspective.

Martes 19 de Mayo 16 hs. Armond Duwell, University of Montana

“Desiderata for an analysis of computation”

An analysis of computation tells us what systems are computational systems
and what systems are not. Despite the ubiquity of computers, there is no
widely agreed upon analysis. In this talk, I'll discuss the problem of
providing an analysis of computation, discuss the desiderata for an
analysis of computation, and discuss some candidate analyses and their
shortcomings.

Saludos, sebi