February 2015 - Categories - categories.org.au

PhD opportunities in the Computer Science theory group at Birmingham
by Paul B Levy 08 Feb '15

08 Feb '15

Dear all, We invite applications for PhD study at the University of Birmingham. We are a group of (mostly) theoretical computer scientists who explore fundamental concepts in computation and programming language semantics. This often involves profound and surprising connections between different areas of computer science and mathematics. From category theory to ??-calculus and computational effects, from topology to constructive mathematics, from game semantics to program compilation, this is a diverse field of research that continues to provide new insight and underlying structure. See our webpage, with links to individual researchers, here: http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/groupings/theory/ Information about PhD applications may be found here: http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate-research/ If you are considering applying, please contact any of us. We will be very happy to discuss the opportunities available. Best regards, the Birmingham CS theory group -- Mart??n Escard?? (Topology, computation with infinite objects, constructive mathematics, intuitionistic type theory) Dan Ghica (Game semantics, heterogeneous computing, model checking) Achim Jung (Mathematical structures in the foundations of computing: logic, topology, order) Neelakantan Krishnaswami (Type theory, verification, substructural logic, interactive computation) Paul Levy (Denotational semantics, ??-calculus with effects, nondeterminism, category theory, game semantics) Uday Reddy (Semantics of state, separation logic) Eike Ritter (Security protocol verification) Hayo Thielecke (Abstract machines, concurrent and functional programming, software security) Steve Vickers (Constructive mathematics and topology, category theory and toposes) [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]

1 0

Scope of Logic Theorems II - Call for Papers
by Universal Logic 04 Feb '15

04 Feb '15

After a successful issue of Logica Universalis on logic theorems examining the scope of validity and the domain of application of fundamental theorems of modern logic http://link.springer.com/journal/11787/8/3/page/1 we are preparing a second issue dealing in particular with theorems not discussed in the first issue. Deadline is July 31st, 2015 Jean-Yves Beziau Editor-in-Chief Logica Universalis http://www.logica-universalis.org/ Preface: Scope of Logic Theorems In Memoriam Adolf Lindenbaum Jean-Yves Beziau http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-014-0109-1 Adolf Lindenbaum: Notes on his Life, with Bibliography and Selected References Jan Zygmunt, Robert Purdy http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-014-0108-2 Direct Proofs of Lindenbaum Conditionals Ren?? Gazzari http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-013-0081-1 On Transferring Model Theoretic Theorems of L8,? in the Category of Sets to a Fixed Grothendieck Topos Nathanael Leedom Ackerman http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-014-0105-5 The Institution-Theoretic Scope of Logic Theorems Razvan Diaconescu, Till Mossakowski, Andrzej Tarlecki http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-013-0093-x Dugundji???s Theorem Revisited Marcelo E. Coniglio, Newton M. Peron Pages http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-014-0106-4 Craig Interpolation in the Presence of Unreliable Connectives Jo??o Rasga, Cristina Sernadas, Amlcar Sernadas http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-014-0101-9 There is No Paradox of Logical Validity Roy T. Cook http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-014-0094-4 Forcing, Downward L??wenheim-Skolem and Omitting Types Theorems, Institutionally Daniel Gaina http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-013-0090-0 The Scope of G??del???s First Incompleteness Theorem Bernd Buldt http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11787-014-0107-3 [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]

1 0

Our friend Bob Walters
by wlawvere 04 Feb '15

04 Feb '15

Dear colleagues, It is with great sorrow that I inform you of our loss of RFC Walters. Bob has been a highly valued friend and collaborator for several decades. One of the organizers of the Sydney Category Seminar, as well as of International meetings at Como, his contributions to pure and applied category theory remain of fundamental value in many diverse disciplines. He published one of the first books applying category theory to computer science, and was one of the main developers of Yoneda structures and other explicit concepts guiding category theory in geometry and logic. He is sadly missed by his friends and his colleagues all over the world. My deepest condolences go to his family. Bill Lawvere [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]

6 5

MFPS XXXI : 2nd CFP
by Dan Ghica 03 Feb '15

03 Feb '15

# CALL FOR PAPERS : MFPS XXXI ## Thirty-first Conference on the Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics ## 22-25 June 2015, Nijmegen, Netherlands ## [Web page](http://events.cs.bham.ac.uk/mfps31/) ## Co-located with the 6th Conference on Algebra and Coalgebra in Computer Science (CALCO) The 31st MFPS will take place on the campus of the Radboud University, Nijmegen, between 22 and 25 June 2015. MFPS conferences are dedicated to the areas of mathematics, logic, and computer science that are related to models of computation in general, and to semantics of programming languages in particular. This is a forum where researchers in mathematics and computer science can meet and exchange ideas. The participation of researchers in neighbouring areas is strongly encouraged. MFPS is organised in cooperation with ACM SIGLOG and observes its anti-harassment [policy](http://www.acm.org/sigs/volunteer_resources/officers_manual/anti-ha…. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following: bio-computation; concurrent qualitative and quantitative distributed systems; process calculi; probabilistic systems; constructive mathematics; domain theory and categorical models; formal languages; formal methods; game semantics; lambda calculus; programming-language theory; quantum computation; security; topological models; logic; type systems; type theory. We also welcome contributions that address applications of semantics to novel areas such as complex systems, markets, and networks, for example. ## INVITED SPEAKERS * Andy Pitts (Cambridge), joint speaker for MFPS-CALCO * Thierry Coquand (Chalmers) * Guy McCusker (Bath) * Sam Staton (Radboud) * Paul B. Levy (Birmingham) ## TUTORIAL SPEAKERS AND SPECIAL SESSIONS * Matija Pretnar (Ljubljana) on algebraic effects * Andrzej Murawksy (Warwick) on game semantics * Daniela Petri??an (Nijmegen) on nominal techniques * other tutorials TBC ## SUBMISSION ### Important dates: * Submission: April 3, 2015 * Notification: May 15, 2015 * Final version: May 29, 2015 * Conference: 22-25 June, 2015 ### Submitting Submissions should be prepared using the [ENTCS Macros](http://www.entcs.org/), in the form of a PDF file not exceeding 15 pages. Submissions are open on [EasyChair](https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=mfps31). ### Proceedings A preliminary version will be distributed at the meeting. Final proceedings will appear in ENTCS after the meeting. ## PROGRAM COMMITTEE: * Achim Jung, Birmingham, UK * Alan Jeffrey, Bell Labs, USA * Alexandra Silva, Radboud U, NED * Andrej Bauer, Ljubljana, SLO (organiser) * Andy Pitts, Cambridge, UK * Catherine Meadows, NRL, USA (organiser) * Dan R. Ghica, Birmingham, UK (Chair) * Derek Dreyer, MPI-SWS, GER * Franck van Breugel, York, CA * F. Nordvall Forsberg, Strathclyde, UK * Grigore Ro??u, Illinois, USA * James Brotherston, UCL, UK * Joel Ouaknine, Oxford, UK (organiser) * Marco Gaboardi, Dundee, UK * Michael Mislove, Tulane, USA (organiser) * Michele Pagani, Paris, FRA * Nikos Tzevelekos, Queen Mary, UK * Olivier Laurent, ENS Lyon, FRA * Paul B. Levy, Birmingham, UK * Prakash Panangaden, Montreal, CA (organiser) * Radu Mardare, Aalborg, DEN * Radha Jagadeesan, DePaul, USA * Ross Duncan, Strathclyde, UK * Steve Brookes, CMU, USA (organiser) * Ugo Dal Lago, Bologna, ITA * Ulrich Sch??pp, Munich, GER ## LOCAL ORGANISERS: * Bart Jacobs * Alexandra Silva * Sam Staton ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the MFPS-L list, click the following link: https://listserv.tulane.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=MFPS-L&A=1 [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]

1 0

Re: Our friend Bob Walters
by Marta Bunge 02 Feb '15

02 Feb '15

Dear colleagues and friends, We have suffered yet another great loss to our categories group - RFC (Bob) Walters. The last time I saw him was at the Memorial Conference for Aurelio Carboni, Milano, June 2013. The photo whose link is given below, taken by Danilo Lawvere, shows from left to right: me, George Janelidze, Patrizia Giachetti, Bob Walters, Bill Lawvere, and Davide Bernardini. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mjnj9tepsi20gyc/AABGfb5vk-BeTMj4ifB8iIWJa?dl=0 Both Aurelio and Bob worked together during several years at Insubria, Como. When Aurelio did not show up at the Calais CT Conference, I asked Bob Walters why, and he told me that Aurelio was not sick but worse - "disillusioned" with the "new developments" in Category Theory, a sentiment which several of us shared. Bob encouraged me then to visit Aurelio in Como. An interchange of emails followed but I could not make it. Aurelio and I had worked together during my sabbatical in Genova, 2005-06 and had plans for a sequel. Our joint paper "The symmetric topos" benefited from his incredible algebraic intuition and led to further work. What Aurelio was suffering from, however, was not just disillusionment, as Bob Walters and even his wife Patrizia Giachetti believed, but something much more serious and he died shortly after. Having now lost both Aurelio Carboni and Bob Walters has been a big blow to our group of colleagues and friends in Italy and elsewhere. My deep condolences go to Bob's wife and collaborator Nicoletta Sabadini, to his Italian colleagues and friends, and to the entire Category Theory Community. Marta Bunge > Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 10:11:03 -0500 > From: wlawvere(a)buffalo.edu > To: categories(a)mta.ca > Subject: categories: Our friend Bob Walters > > Dear colleagues, > > It is with great sorrow that I inform you of our loss of RFC Walters. > > Bob has been a highly valued friend and collaborator for several decades. > > One of the organizers of the Sydney Category Seminar, as well as of > International meetings at Como, his contributions to pure and applied > category theory remain of fundamental value in many diverse disciplines. > He published one of the first books applying category theory to computer > science, and was one of the main developers of Yoneda structures and other > explicit concepts guiding category theory in geometry and logic. > > He is sadly missed by his friends and his colleagues all over the world. > > My deepest condolences go to his family. > > Bill Lawvere > [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]

2 1

Category Theory for the Sciences
by Michael Barr 02 Feb '15

02 Feb '15

A book of that name by David I. Spivak, Mathematics at MIT was recently published by the MIT Press. Has anyone seen it? Did it seem interesting. I wonder what kind of science outside of string theory would find CT useful. Michael [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]

11 11