July 2025 - Categories - categories.org.au

Lecture notes by Bill Lawvere
by Michael Barr, Prof. 23 Apr '26

23 Apr '26

I got a request from someone named C. Muster who is searching for a set of lecture notes by Bill that he gave at U. Laval in 1974. Does anyone have a copy that they would be willing to send to him. Michael You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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7th Workshop on Formal Topology (7WFTop)-( first annoucement)
by Maria Emilia Maietti 12 Feb '26

12 Feb '26

================================== 7th Workshop on Formal Topology (7WFTop). >From topology to dynamic constructivism, and back. (first announcement) > ------------------------------ The 7th Workshop on Formal Topology will take place in Venice, Italy, on April 13-17, 2026 at Convento di San Francesco della Vigna. This is the seventh of a series of successful meetings on the development of Formal Topology and its connections with related approaches. The first six have been held in Padua (1997), Venice (2002), Padua (2007), Ljubljana (2012), Stockholm (2015), and Birmingham (2019). The meeting is supported by Dipartimento di Matematica “Tullio Levi-Civita” (Università di Padova). ------------------------------ Dynamic constructivism is a new approach to the foundation of mathematics proposed by Giovanni Sambin starting from the 90s and whose forthcoming book is a first organic exposition. The main claim is that mathematics is the result of a dynamic, human process, which stems from the interplay between the construction of mathematical entities, by abstraction and by idealization, and their selection according to their effectiveness in applications to reality and in the organization of mathematics itself. Pointfree topology in the form of Formal Topology and the more recent Positive Topology provides a key tool to link the effective content of mathematics with its ideal one, and thus achieve a synthesis of computation and visual intuition. A careful management of information within a dynamic view "back and forth" from mathematics to its foundation inevitably leads to accepting a plural vision of mathematics, thus enlightening connections between different constructive or even classical approaches to it. INVITED SPEAKERS: Steve Awodey, Andrej Bauer, Ingo Blechschmidt, Francesco Ciraulo, Maria Manuel Clementino, Thierry Coquand, Laura Crosilla, Tom de Jong, Martín Escardó, Hugo Herbelin, Hajime Ishihara, Tatsuji Kawai, Ansten Klev, Takako Nemoto, Michael Rathjen, Giovanni Sambin, Göran Sundholm, Mark van Atten, Steve Vickers, David Wärn, Joshua Wrigley. CONTRIBUTED TALKS There will be room for some contributed talks. Information about abstract submission will appear soon in the website of the workshop. ACCOMODATION The organizers will be happy to help you find accommodation, given the peculiarities of the city of Venice, and are making agreements with some facilities to guarantee partecipants a convenient price for their stay. If you are interested, please write to the workshop email address 7wftop(a)math.unipd.it<mailto:7wftop@math.unipd.it> as soon as possible, indicating "accommodation" in the subject. Finding accommodation at a reasonable price will be difficult or virtually impossible after June-July 2025. REGISTRATION The registration form will be available soon on the workshop website https://events.math.unipd.it/7wftop/. Participation will require a registration fee. SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE Ingo Blechschmidt (University of Antwerp) Thierry Coquand (Gothenburg University) Martín Escardó (University of Birmingham) Maria Emilia Maietti (University of Padua) Per Martin-Löf (Stockholm University) ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Cipriano Junior Cioffo (University of Pisa) Francesco Ciraulo (University of Padua) Maria Emilia Maietti (University of Padua) Samuele Maschio (University of Padua) Pietro Sabelli (Czech Academy of Science) Giovanni Sambin (University of Padua) CONTACTS For inquiries, please send an e-mail to: 7wftop(a)math.unipd.it<mailto:7wftop@math.unipd.it> You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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Gilles Dowek (1966-2025)
by Valeria de Paiva 04 Aug '25

04 Aug '25

I am sorry to bear the sad news that Gilles Dowek has passed away on 21 July, after a courageous battle with cancer. There is an obituary from Le Monde https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2025/07/21/gilles-dowek-informa… and a note from Catherine Dubois, Thérèse Hardin and Olivier Hermant in English, via Sophie Pinchinat. With a heavy heart, Valeria ---------------------------- Dear all, It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Gilles Dowek on 21 July, 58 years old, after a three-year courageous battle with cancer. Gilles was a Research Director at Inria and an Associate Professor at ENS Paris-Saclay. He was a major scientist in Computer Science, internationally renowned. It is difficult to summarize his contributions to our discipline in just a few lines. His work focused on the formalization of mathematics, type theory and proof theory, the links between computation and deduction, rewriting, quantum computation, and more. This theoretical work, recognized as being of prime importance, drove his research into making it available through the design and development of tools: proof assistants (Coq then Dedukti), the design of algorithms improving the safety of aeronautical systems, interoperability of formal proofs, etc. Beyond the aspects specific to his profession, Gilles was a computer scientist committed to society. His contributions span multiple fields such as ethics, popularization, and teaching in all curricula. In particular, he contributed greatly to the introduction of the ISN (Computer Science and Digital Science) option in high schools, and until recently he was still very active on the Higher Council for Programs. Gilles received numerous prizes, that demonstrate how well he was recognized by his peers: the Grand Prix de Philosophie award of the French Academy for the book "Les Métamorphoses du calcul" in 2007 ; the Grand Prix Inria - Academy of Sciences award in 2023 ; the History of Sciences and Epistemology medal of the Academy of Sciences in 2024. Finally, Gilles was an outstanding speaker and teacher, with a speech rate that could not let you fall asleep, an unmatched pedagogy and a very large culture. He was open to everybody and was first to support the youngers. He has inspired, guided, and led in his projects uncountably many persons. Thank you for everything, Gilles. Having known you has been a chance, a pleasure, but above all an honor. To conclude, we quote a paragraph that has been written by the SIF (French Computer Science Society), to which Gilles has largely contributed: "He leaves a rich inheritage, written and filmed, that tackles intemporal questions and that will for a long time keep us reflecting. He also leaves us an optimistic without naïve idealism viewpoint, an incitement to pursue the development of our human intelligence while keeping eyes wide open on the world." Catherine Dubois, Thérèse Hardin, Olivier Hermant -- Valeria de Paiva http://vcvpaiva.github.io/ https://topos.institute/ http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~vdp/ You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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RHPL@FSTTCS 2025: Call for Talk and Poster Proposals
by Abhisekh Sankaran 28 Jul '25

28 Jul '25

Dear colleague, As you may know, FSTTCS 2025 (https://www.fsttcs.org.in/2025/) is going to be held at BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus (https://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/goa/) during December 17 – 19, 2025. The conference is organized by IARCS, the Indian Association for Research in Computing Science (https://www.iarcs.org.in/) in association with ACM India (https://india.acm.org/) It is a very visible forum for presenting original results in foundational aspects of Computer Science and Software Technology. As in the previous years, this year too, co-located with the main FSTTCS conference, IARCS is organizing the Workshop on Research Highlights in Programming Languages (RHPL@FSTTCS). The focus of the workshop will be on all areas of Programming Languages (PL), including but not limited to: - Applied formal methods - Automated and interactive theorem provers - Compilers - Concurrency and memory models - Domain and type theories - Program analysis and verification - Program sketching, synthesis and repair - Programming language design and semantics Further, in view of the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in PL theory and practice, the workshop also includes in its scope themes pertaining to the influences of AI/ML concepts and tools on the mentioned PL topics, and vice-versa; for instance, probabilistic programming languages. The website for the workshop is: https://fmindia.cmi.ac.in/rhpl2025/. The objective of RHPL is to foster interactions between the attendees of the workshop, and more broadly between researchers working on Programming Languages and the traditional FSTTCS community of researchers working on Theoretical Computer Science and Formal Methods. We solicit: (1) Talk proposals: On recent work that has been published in good venues, or is mature in terms of approach and evaluation. (2) Poster proposals: On early ideas that are promising but have not been developed fully. Selections of these proposals will be made based on the promise of research possibilities and their novelty. Proposals to the workshop can be based on one or more works, published or unpublished. They may be submitted using the Google form below. https://forms.gle/RufuAs54zxsadp1n7 The important dates for the workshop are as below. All dates are in Indian Standard Time (IST). - Submission portal opens: July 28, 2025 - Submission deadline: September 18, 2025 - Notification: September 25, 2025 - Early registration deadline: TBA - RHPL@FSTTCS: TBA We look forward to receiving your talk/poster proposals to the workshop. On behalf of the RHPL@FSTTCS workshop organizing committee: Abhisekh Sankaran (TCS Research) (co-Chair) Divyesh Unadkat (Synopsys) (co-Chair) Deepak D'Souza (IISc Bangalore) Uday Khedker (IIT Bombay) Kumar Madhukar (IIT Delhi) Kartik Nagar (IIT Madras) Sumanth Prabhu (TCS Research) Ganesan Ramalingam (Microsoft) Abhik Roychoudhury (National University of Singapore) You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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PSSL 111 - First Announcement
by Matteo Capucci 21 Jul '25

21 Jul '25

Dear all, We are happy to announce that the 111st Peripatetic Seminar on Sheaves and Logic (PSSL111) is set to take place on Thursday and Friday September 4th–5th, 2025, in Bologna, Italy. This edition of the PSSL is being organized by Matteo Capucci (matteo.capucci(a)gmail.com<mailto:matteo.capucci@gmail.com>) and Vikraman Choudhury (vikraman.choudhury(a)unibo.it<mailto:vikraman.choudhury@unibo.it>). All the information (venue, schedule of talks) are already or will be posted on the event webpage: > https://progetto-itaca.github.io/pssl111/ There are no registration fees, but we kindly ask that you complete the registration form by August 28th at the latest. You may find the link in the aforementioned webpage. When registering, you'll be given the option to submit a talk proposal. We seek proposals for contributed talks on all aspects of category theory and its applications. Talks about work in progress are also warmly welcomed. We especially encourage PhD students and young researchers to submit their work. We can't wait to see you in Bologna! Matteo and Vikraman ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matteo Capucci (he/him) University of Strathclyde / ARIA Creator website, twitter I sometimes email outside standard working hours as this is convenient for me. Please don't feel the need to respond until you are at work. You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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Second announcement of the hybrid workshop "Spectrums in Representation Theory of Algebras and Related Topics"
by Pablo Sanchez Ocal 18 Jul '25

18 Jul '25

Dear All, This is the second announcement of the hybrid workshop "Spectrums in Representation Theory of Algebras and Related Topics" happening at the Osaka Central Advanced Mathematical Institute (OCAMI) between 16-19 December 2025. We are very excited about the response to our first announcement, and we are considering increasing the number of contributed talks. We will be making preliminary decisions about contributed speakers soon, so if you are interested, please submit your registration form as soon as possible and indicate your interest in the form! *The call for contributed talks is now open, and will close on September 1st 2025.* Please find more information on the event's website: pabloocal.github.io/SRTART2025/, or see below for information from the first announcement. The workshop will focus on the development and applications of the topological tools known as spectrum to the representation theory of algebras, broadly interpreted. It is intended to be both a friendly place where newcomers can learn about a selection of these topics, as well as a platform to discuss recent advances. The workshop features two minicourses by: - Rosanna Laking (University of Verona), - Ryo Takahashi (Nagoya University). The confirmed speakers for the workshop are: - Lidia Angeleri Hügel (University of Verona), - Paul Balmer (University of California, Los Angeles), - Osamu Iyama (The University of Tokyo), - Tsutomu Nakamura (Kyoto University of Education), - Manuel Reyes (University of California, Irvine), - Shunya Saito (The University of Tokyo). The workshop will feature contributed talks. We particularly encourage and welcome applications from junior researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students. We especially welcome applications from women and minority groups in mathematics. We have a limited amount of financial support available for junior participants. Please let us know in the registration form if you would like to be considered for it. Junior participants applying for contributed talks will be given priority. *Registration for the workshop is now open.* *The call for contributed talks is now open.* We are very excited to welcome you to Osaka! Pablo S. Ocal (on behalf of the organizers) You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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Online resources/Introducing Category Theory
by Peter Smith 12 Jul '25

12 Jul '25

Dear all, Just to say that I’ve again updated my web-page linking to online materials on category theory, freely/legally available at a more or less introductory level: https://www.logicmatters.net/categories This is visited surprisingly often — about 3K times a month — so I feel I ought to try to keep it in good order! So do please let me know of any recent materials at the same level that I might helpfully add to the lists. And perhaps, when appropriate, spread the word to students who could find the page useful. There is a link to a new version my Introducing Category Theory. I make no claim at all for these notes other than they should be a-bit-more-than-averagely accessible for self-study, and so they might make for helpful preliminary reading for students about to take on an industrial-strength course next term/semester. (I’m quite certainly no category theorist, just a logician of sorts looking with interest over the fence: so I’d of course like to know about any foul-ups, and to have suggestions for improvement!) Kind regards Peter S. Dr Peter Smith www.logicmatters.net You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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Postdoc positions in type theory, closing date: 25 July
by Nicolai Kraus 07 Jul '25

07 Jul '25

Dear all, I would like to invite applications for two postdoctoral positions in homotopy type theory at the University of Nottingham, UK. The positions are initially for three years, after which an extension is likely to be possible. The suggested starting date is 1 October this year, but please get in touch even if you could only start later. Our group in Nottingham has multiple academics, postdocs, and PhD students working in the field, and we have regular seminars and informal discussions which contribute to a great environment for working, learning, and collaboration. There are no teaching obligations attached to these positions, but there are teaching and supervision opportunities. The current call primarily addresses candidates who already work in (homotopy) type theory. However, if you work in a related area and are interested in type theory, please do not hesitate to contact me for an informal discussion! The official advert can be found at [1], and the closing date is 25 July. Please note that my university's application form is somewhat non-standard. There are very subject-specific questions (for example, asking you to demonstrate your experience with proof assistants) and text fields, but no obvious places to upload a CV or cover letter. You may use Section 5 ("additional information") to include the information you would usually add in a CV or cover letter. Please do not be discouraged by the subject-specific questions; it is not necessary to have experience with everything. Also note that the university asks for referee details per default; you do not need letters at the time you apply, you only need to list their contact details at this stage. Members of underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. If you are interested, I would encourage you to get in touch with me! Best wishes, Nicolai nicolai.kraus(a)nottingham.ac.uk<mailto:nicolai.kraus@nottingham.ac.uk> [1] https://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=SCI174425 You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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Looking for volunteers to help with typesetting Bird's 1984 thesis
by Nathanael Arkor 07 Jul '25

07 Jul '25

Dear all, I am looking for volunteers to help with the task of re-typesetting Greg Bird's 1984 thesis "Limits in 2-Categories of Locally-Presentable Categories" for publication (a scanned copy may be found here<http://science.mq.edu.au/~street/BirdPhD.pdf>). Bird's thesis is an influential work in two-dimensional category theory that remains one of the best references for a number of constructions in 2-category theory and the theory of locally presentable categories, but has unfortunately enjoyed limited distribution. It is thus fitting that it should be reprinted and thereby made more widely accessible. Each volunteer will be allocated approximately 10 pages to typeset. In my experience, it takes about an hour to typeset 10 pages (and should certainly not take longer than a few hours). There are a little over 100 pages, so I am hoping for around 10 volunteers. (I will handle the typesetting of the diagrams myself.) Please let me know by replying (privately) to this email if you would be willing to assist with the typesetting process. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks, Nathanael You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message. View group files<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Leave group<https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…> | Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups<https://aka.ms/o365g>

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Save the date: Homotopy theory, K-theory, and topological data analysis - a conference in honour of Rick Jardine at Western University, June 8-12, 2026
by Chris Kapulkin 05 Jul '25

05 Jul '25

Dear all, We are pleased to announce a conference on Homotopy Theory, K-theory, and Topological Data Analysis that will be held at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. from June 8 to 12, 2026. The conference honours the work of John F. (Rick) Jardine, a professor at the University of Western Ontario. Over his more than 40 year career, Rick has made foundational contributions to homotopy theory, K-theory, and topological data analysis, in particular shaping the current landscape of homotopical algebra. There will be 18 invited talks given by: K. Adamyk (Hamline University) M. Anel (Carnegie Mellon University) A. Asok (University of Southern California) P. Balmer (University of California at Los Angeles) G. Carlsson (Stanford University) D.-C. Cisinski (University of Regensburg) E. Elmanto (University of Toronto) J. Heller (University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign) M. Lesnick (State University of New York at Albany) M. Levine (Universität Duisburg–Essen) E. Purvine (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) E. Riehl (Johns Hopkins University) M. Rovelli (University of Massachusetts at Amherst) O. Röndigs (Osnabrück University) L. Scoccola (Université du Québec à Montréal) K. Wickelgren (Duke University) B. Williams (University of British Columbia) I. Zakharevich (Cornell University) In addition, there will be a session with lightning talks from junior researchers, and a banquet in honour of Rick Jardine. Limited funding will be available to assist researchers without other means of support with travel and accommodation expenses. Another announcement will be sent when registration opens. We are looking forward to seeing you in London (Ontario, make sure to book your travel correctly!) in June 2026! Best wishes, Dan Christensen Paul Goerss Chris Kapulkin Marcy Robertson ---------- You're receiving this message because you're a member of the Categories mailing list group from Macquarie University. Leave group: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/categories@mq.edu.au/groupsubscription.as…

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