April 2012
In April 2012 the Archive Trust plans to record or will seek arrangements to share recordings made by others of the following events
2nd APRIL 2012
10:00 – 13:00 hrs MSH 190 Avenue de France : Seminaire : Histoire de Geometries
Session 2 of 2012 Series
Speaker : Jean- Jacques SZCZECINIARZ (SPHERE)
Title : L’Autre Galois
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2nd APRIL 2012
Salle 646A Mondrian Batiment Condorcet Universite Paris 7
SPHERE/REHSEIS Seminar en Histoire et Philosophie des mathematiques
1 day Colloque ; “Questionner Les Operations” : Ecriture de calculs et d’operations : quels indices pour quels milieux ?
Including talks by Sebastien GANDON and Leo CORRY
Full details to be added.
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Announcement and Titles of Talks :
Questionner les opérations. Ecriture de calculs et d’opérations : quels indices pour quels milieux
Séance construite par Christine Proust, dans le cadre du projet européen SAW « Mathematical Sciences in the Ancient World »
Christine Proust (SPHERE)
Usages des langues dans les textes mathématiques : des styles d’écriture propres à certaines écoles.
Yiwen Zhu (SPHERE)
Moving counting rods into text : the change of language and content of Chinese mathematics.
Caroline Ehrhardt (ENS-Lyon / IFÉ)
Une autre théorie des groupes : les travaux de Thomas Kirkman (circa 1860)
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4th APRIL 2012
“Un Texte, Un Mathematicien”
Series of Public Lectures at Grand Auditorium, Bibliotheque de France
sponsored by Societe Mathematique de France
Talk by Sylvi a SEFARTY
Lagrange and the Calculus of variations : le calcul revolutionaire d’une jeune mathematicien turinois
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4th-5th APRIL 2012
April 4-5, 2012
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Titles/Abstracts
Robert Raussendorf
“Symmetry constraints on temporal order in measurement-based quantum computation”
We discuss the interdependence of resource state, measurement setting and temporal order in measurement-based quantum computation. The possible temporal orders of measurement events are constrained by the principle that the randomness inherent in quantum measurement should not affect the outcome of the computation. We provide a classification for all temporal relations among measurement events compatible with a given initial quantum state and measurement setting, in terms of a matroid. Conversely, we show that classical processing relations necessary for turning the local measurement outcomes into computational output determine the resource state and measurement setting up to local equivalence. Further, we find a symmetry transformation related to local complementation that leaves the temporal relations invariant.
Oscar Dahlsten
“Tsirelson’s bound from a Generalised Data Processing Inequality”
The strength of quantum correlations is bounded from above by Tsirelson’s bound. We establish a connection between this bound and the fact that correlations between two systems cannot increase under local operations, a property known as the data processing inequality. More specifically, we consider arbitrary convex probabilistic theories. These can be equipped with an entropy measure that naturally generalizes the von Neumann entropy, as shown recently by Short and Wehner. We prove that if the data processing inequality holds with respect to this generalized entropy measure then the underlying theory necessarily respects Tsirelson’s bound. We moreover generalise this statement to any entropy measure satisfying certain minimal requirements. Based on arXiv:1108.4549.
Matthew Pusey
“Comparing two explanations for qubits”
I will discuss two long-standing realist models for qubits – one due to Bell and the other to Kochen and Specker. I will argue that the latter provides a much more compelling explanation of various quantum information phenomena, mainly thanks to the feature that multiple quantum states can apply to the same real state. Finally I will show that, on the other hand, it is precisely this feature that prevents the latter model from explaining a very particular phenomena. Based on arXiv:1111.3328.
Michel Bitbol
“Kant and quantum mechanics: a middle way between the ontic and epistemic approaches”
Instead of either formulating new metaphysical images of the so-called “quantum reality” or rejecting any metaphysical attempt in an empiricist spirit, the case of quantum mechanics might require a redefinition of metaphysics. The sought redefinition will be performed in the spirit of Kant, according to whom metaphysics is the discipline of the boundaries of human knowledge. This can be called a “reflective” conception of metaphysics. Along with this perspective, theoretical structures are neither ontic nor purely epistemic. They do not express exclusively the structure of reality out there, or the form of our own knowledge, but their active interface. Our understanding of the structure of quantum mechanics then works in two steps :
(1) The most basic structures of quantum mechanics are neither imposed onto us (by some pre-structured reality) nor arbitrary (just meant to “save the phenomena”), but made necessary by the general characteristics of our demand of knowledge.
(2) Yet, there can also be additional features of theoretical structures corresponding to special characteristics of our demand of knowledge, adapted to certain directions of research or to cultural prejudice. The “surplus structure” of some of the most popular interpretations of quantum mechanics will be understood this way.
Finally, it will be shown that some of the major “paradoxes” of quantum mechanics, such as the measurement problem, can easily be dissolved by way of this reflective attitude.
Virginie Lerays
“Detector efficiency and communication complexity”
In the standard setting of communication complexity, two players each have an input and they wish to compute some function of the joint inputs. This has been the object of much study in computer science and a wide variety of lower bound methods have been introduced to address the problem of showing lower bounds on communication. Physicists have considered a closely related scenario where two players share a predefined entangled state. Each is given a measurement as input, which they perform on their share of the system. The outcomes of the measurements follow a distribution which is predicted by quantum mechanics. The goal is to rule out the possibility that there is a classical explanation for the distribution, through loopholes such as communication or detector inefficiency. In an experimental setting, Bell inequalities are used to distinguish truly quantum from classical behavior.
Bell test and communication complexity are both measures of how far a distribution is from the set of local distributions (those requiring no communication), and one would expect that if a bell test shows a large violation for a distribution, it should require a lot of communication and vice versa.
We present a new lower bound technique for communication complexity based on the notion of detector inefficiency for the setting of simulating distributions, and show that it coincides with the best lower bound in communication complexity known until now. We show that it amounts to constructing an explicit Bell inequality. Joint work with Sophie Laplante and Jérémie Roland.
Damian Markham
“On non-linear extensions of quantum mechanics”
We present some observations on the restrictions imposed on non-linear extensions of quantum mechanics with respect to non-signaling. We see that non-signaling can be understood as imposing the destruction of correlations, a property noticed for closed time-like curves by Bennett et al, arising from the ‘non-linearity trap’. We discuss in what sense such theories can still allow for ‘local’ cloning and state discrimination. Joint work with Julien Degorre.
Kavan Modi
“Entanglement distribution with quantum communication”
Two distant labs cannot increase the entanglement between them via classical communication. However, they can do this via quantum communication. Surprisingly, the quantum communicated system need to be entangled with both of the labs. However, this party must be quantum, as measured by quantum discord. We will show that it quantum discord that bounds the amount of entanglement that may be increased via quantum communication. The general bound we present also leads to subadditivity of entropy and gives an interpretation for negative conditional entropy.
Giacomo Mauro d’Ariano
“Physics from Informational Principles”
Recently quantum theory has been derived from six principles that are of purely informational nature. The “(epistemo)logical” nature of these principles makes them rock solid. We want now to take a pause of reflection about the general foundations of Physics, and re-examine how solid are principles as the Galilean relativity and the Einsteinian equivalence principle. Are they truly compelling? Why are they under dispute, and violations are considered? Following the route of the informational paradigm, I will suggest three new candidate principles, all of informational nature: 1) The Church–Turing–Deutsch principle, namely that theory must allow simulating any physical process by a universal finite computer (this implies that the information involved in any process is locally bounded); 2) topological locality of interaction; 3) topological homogeneity of interactions. These principles along with the six ones for Quantum Theory suggest a new foundation of Quantum Field Theory as Quantum Cellular Automata theory. I will show how this framework can actually provide an extension of Quantum Field Theory to include localized states and observables, whereas Galileo’s and Einstein’s covariance and other symmetries are only approximate, and to be recovered only in the field-limit, whereas their violation make the extended theory in-principle falsifiable. The new informational principles open totally unexpected routes and re-definitions of mechanical notions (as inertial mass, Planck constant, Hamiltonian, Dirac equation as free flow of information), Minkowsian space‐time as emergent, and an unexpected role for Majorana field in the solution of the so-called Feynman problem of simulating anti-commuting fields by the automaton.
Caslav Brukner
“Tests distinguishing between quantum and more general probabilistic theories”
The historical experience teaches us that every theory that was accepted at a certain time was later inevitably replaced by a deeper and more fundamental theory. There is no reason why quantum theory should be an exception in this respect. At present, quantum theory has been tested against very specific alternative theories, such as hidden variables, non-linear Schrödinger equations or the collapse models. The common feature of all of them is that they keep one or the other basic principle of the classical world intact. Yet, it is very unlikely that a post-quantum theory will be based on pre-quantum concepts. In contrast, it is likely that it will break not only principles of classical but also quantum physics. This gives us a motivation for the following research program: 1) To reconstruct quantum mechanics from a set of axioms. 2) To weaken the axioms and to look for broader structures. 3) To test quantum theory against them. Following this approach I will present two tests that can distinguish between quantum theory and more general probabilistic theories.
Alexei Grinbaum
“Quantum observers and Kolmogorov complexity”
Different observers do not have to agree on how they identify a quantum system. We explore a condition based on algorithmic complexity that allows a system to be described as an objective “element of reality”. We also suggest an experimental test of the hypothesis that any system, even much smaller than a human being, can be a quantum mechanical observer.
6th APRIL 2012
14:00-17:00 hrs Salle Malevich 483A Bat. Condorcet Univ Paris 7
REHSEIS Seminar in Philosophie et Physique
(Convenors Elie DURING and Alexis se SAINT-OURS)
Speaker : Nazim BOUATTA (Cambridge DAMTP)
Part II of Talk on The Interpretation of QFT
QFT : Whence? Where? Whither?
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7th APRIL 2012
Paris, Grand Mosque de Paris : 14:30
Francis NICOLAS (ENS)
Bagdad 1074 : Deux Siecles apres l’invention de l’algebre : Un Nouvel bond Mathematique
Al-Khayyami and the Traite de la reduction et de la comparison ( maqalatun fi/l-jabri wa/l-muqabalati )
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9th – 15th APRIL 2012
UBATUBA, Near Sao Paolo, Brazil.
3rd International Franco-Brasilian Spring School on The Conceptual History of Mathematics
NB For Recordings of the First and Second Joint Franco-Latin American Schools in The Conceptual History of Mathematics (Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia 2008 : The Duality of Geometry and Algebra in the Historical Development of 19th and 20th century Mathematics) and 2010 (Argentina – Buenos Aires and Cordoba) see the 2008 and 2010 pages of this catalogue (links to be entered)
Program of the 2012 Spring School
DAY 1 Monday 9th APRIL 2012
0900 – 0950 : Opening Session. Introductory Remarks and overview by Dominique FLAMENT and Others
Video
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1000 – 1050 : Philippe NABONNAND : (Talk 1)
La “Quatrieme Geometrie” de Henri Poincare
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1050 – 1100 : Break
1110 – 12oo : Jean-Jacques SZCZECINIARZ (Talk 1)
Descent Theory and Its Significance : Part 1
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1210 – 1300 : Dominique FLAMENT : (Talk 1)
Les Nombres imaginaires autour et aux detours des oeuvres de D’Alembert, Euler, Argand, Gauss, Cauchy et Hamilton
(Imaginary Numbers as conceived in the work of D’Alembert, Euler, Argand, Gauss, Cauchy and Hamilton – in
comparison with the way they are viewed in current mathematics)
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1300 – 1500 : LUNCH
1500 – 1550 : Gildo MAGALHAES dos SANTOS (University of Sao Paolo)
Em torno de uma possivel contibuicao da historia da matematica transfinita para a fisica
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1600 – 1650 : Caroline JULIEN (Talk 1)
A propos de rhetorique en mathematiques
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Conclusion of Day 1 Talks
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DAY 2 : Tuesday 10th April 2012
0900 – 0950 : Olival FREIRE Jr (UFBA)
Tensao entre formalismo metamatico e interpretacado fisica : o casa do teoria quantica
(The tension between mathematical formalism and physical interpretation : a case study : Von Neumann
between mathematical constraints and physical heuristics 1927 – 1932)
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10oo – 1050 : Frederic BRECHENMACHER Talk 1
A Case Study in a specific 19th century algebraic culture : Jordan’s linear groups in Galois fields.
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1050 – 1110 : Break
1110 – 1200 : Tatiana ROQUE (Rio de Janiero)
La Mecanique Celeste dans l’ouevre de Poincare
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1210 – 1300 : Scott WALTER (Nancy) Talk 1
The Discovery of the Lorentz Group and its interpretation by Poincare and by Einstein
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1300 – 1500 : LUNCH
1500 – 1550 : Claudio POSSANI (Sao Paolo)
Integral Geometry and Geometric Probability : birth and developments
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1600 -1650 : Gerard GRIMBERG
L’Intuition en mathematique
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Conclusion of Day 2 Talks
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Day 3 : Wednesday APRIL 11th 2012
0900 – 0930 : Mohamed AL-HOUJAIRI (Talk 1)
Histoire d’un theoreme remarquable de Theodose de Tripoli
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1000 – 1050 : Olivier BRUNEAU (Talk 1)
La Question de la figure de la Terre au 18e siecle : un probleme de mathematiques mixtes
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1050 – 1110 : Break
1110 – 1200 : Carlos GONCALVES (Sao Paolo)
A Historically sensitive New Explanation of Cuneiform Tablet IM52301 (Part 1)
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1210 – 1300 : Caroline ERHARDT (Talk 1)
Evariste Galois, Algebra and the French mathematical milieu of the 1830s
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1300 – 1500 : LUNCH
1500 – 1550 : Rogeiro M de SIQUEIRA
Information to be added
1600 – 1650 : Oscar Joao ABDONOUR (Sao Paolo)
The emergence of early modern geometry and conceptual changes in the theory of ratios in the light of developments in the 16th century theory of music
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Conclusion of Day 3 talks
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Day 4 : Thursday APRIL 12th 2012
0900 – 0950 : Francisco CESAR POLCINO MILIES (Sao Paolo)
Algebras lineares associativas : os primieros passos
Associative Linear algebras : the first steps
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1000 – 1050 : Frederic BRECHENMACHER (Talk 2)
On Camille Jordan’s First Theorem (1860) : generating the general linear group from 1830 to 1901
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1050 -1110 : Break
1110 – 1200 : Scott WALTER (Talk 2)
The Sources of Alfred A. Robb’s Optical Geometry
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Conclusion of Day 4 Talks
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Free afternoon
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Day 5 : Friday April 13th 2012
0900 – 0950 : Olivier BRUNEAU (Talk 2)
Les courbes podaires : entre recherche et enseignment
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1000 – 1050 : Caroline EHRHARDT (Talk 2)
Uses and practices of the notion of group in the 19th Century : Some case studies
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1050 – 1110 : Break
1110 – 1200 : Caroline JULIEN (Talk 2)
Mathematiques et esthetique : une vieille histoire
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1210 – 1300 : Philippe NABBONAND (Talk 2)
Comprendre la dualite geometrie – Algebre – et vice cersa
(Understanding the duality of geometric and algebraic notions – from both sides)
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1300 – 1500 : LUNCH
1500 – 1550 : Jean – Jacques SZCZECINIARZ
Descent Theory and Its Significance (Part 2)
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1600 – 1650 : Mohamed AL-HOUJAIRI (Talk 2)
Theoreme de Menelaus et ses applications dans L’Istikmal d’Ibn Hud de Saragosse
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Conclusion of Day 5 Talks
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Day 6 Saturday April 14th 2012
0900 – 1100 : ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION
1110 – 1130 : Closing Session
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Other Papers read in absence of the Speaker :
Jean – Piere BOURGUIGNON :
Modern Geometry : From the Local to the Global Viewpoint : ATalk in 2 parts
See audio recording and link to speakers handout, abstract and overheads
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Further Details of Program and of Recordings to be added.
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Thursday 12th APRIL 2012
Salle 267A Batiment Condorcet Univ Paris 7
Seance of the Groupe de Travail Mathematiques et Philosophie
10:00 – 13:00 hrs : Exchange between David RABOUIN and Karine CHEMLA on
Object and Concept in Mathematics (Part II)
See announcement of seminar :
Sylvain Cabanacq , Emmylou Haffner, David Rabouin.
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Friday 20th APRIL 2012
University of London Senate House
One Day Conference on Contrasting Approaches to Understanding Quantum Theory
A First Conference in the London Foundations Connection Series
Supported by FQXi and the Institute of Philosophy of the University of London
PROGRAM :
Friday, April 20, 2012
9:30 am : Registration
9:45 am :
Welcome and Introduction with Matthew Leifer, and Adam Caulton
10:00 am : Talk 1 : Hugh JONES
An Overview of PT Quantum Mechanics
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11:00 am : Coffee break
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11:30 am Talk 2 : Fay DOWKER
The Path Integral Approach to Quantum Mechanics
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12:30 : Lunch
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1:30 pm : Talk 3 : Peter LEWIS
What do we know about the wavefunction?
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2:15 pm : Talk 4 : James YEARSLEY
Investigations of Quantum Backflow
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3:00 pm : Coffee Break
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3:30 pm : Talk 5 : Basil HILEY
Weak Measurements: Wigner-Moyal and Bohm in a New Light?
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4:15 pm : Talk 6 : Joshua ROSALER
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5:00 pm : General Discussion and Wrap-Up
Led by Matthew LIEFER and Adam CAULTON
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Hear Audio
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End of Conference
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SEE here for link to ABSTRACTS OF TALKS.
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April 23rd – May 11th 2012
LES HOUCHES International Theoretical Physics Research Centre Nr Grenoble, France.
Ecole de Physique qt Les Houches Spring 2012
40 YEARS OF BLACK HOLE RESEARCH
Details to be added.
For further Information see : http ://houches.ujf-grenoble.fr
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24th-27th APRIL 2012
MALTA : University of Malta Valleta Campus :
QUANTUM MALTA 2012 : FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS IN QUANTUM PHYSICS :
An International Workshop
Details of Program to be added.
25th APRIL 2012
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26th APRIL 2012
Oxford, UK : Oxford University Philosophy of Physics Seminar
Week 1 of Summer Term 2012 Series
4:30 PM Lecture Room 10 Merton Street
Jonathan ROSALER (Oxford)
Decoherence and Effective Wave Function Collapse in the Bohm and Everett Theories, and the Emergence of Macroscopic Newtonian Behaviour
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27th APRIL 2012
Cambridge UK : Centre for Mathematical Sciences
Quantum Foundations Mini-Meeting
Program :
3:00 – 3:45 PM : Adam CAULTON (LSE and IOP London)
Qualitatively Individuating so-called Indistinguishable Quantum Systems
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4:00 – 4:45 PM : Tony SHORT (DAMTP Cambridge)
Particle Physics in Discrete Space-Time
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5:00 -5:45 PM Hugh OSBORN (DAMTP Cambridge)
Some historical perspectives on QFT and some unanswered questions
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30th APRIL 2012
ENS Paris 18:00 hrs Salle CIRPHLES Pavilon Pasteur
ENS Seminaire in Philosophie et Mathematique
Theme of 2011-2012 Session of The Seminar : Concepts Structures et Calcul
Speaker : Paul-Andre MELLIES :
Title : De La calculabilite a l’interaction et a sa geometrie.
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Monday 30th APRIL – 2nd MAY 2012
OXFORD : St Annes College Woodstock Road Oxford UK
Mornings 9:30 – 13:00 hrs
The Arrow of Time : A Program of Talks and Discussions in the Oxford Philosophy of Cosmology Miniseries Program
Speakers :
John BARROW
Jeremy BUTTERFIELD
Roger PENROSE
Joe SILK
David WALLACE
Topics of Discussion :
Is the initial state of the Universe “special”?
What is the relationship between entropy and the arrow of time ?
Is Inflationary cosmology compatible with the 2nd law of thermodynamics ?
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Plus Audio recordings
This miniseries is the first of several on the philosophy of cosmology which will take place in Oxford and Cambridge over the next 2 years. For more on the philosophy of cosmology intiative see
http://philcosmo.physics.ox.ac.uk/
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Many more events for April 2012 to be added. Including all Oxford Philosophy of Physics seminars