January 2014 - philphysmunich

Foundations of QM Seminar (Feb. 3) (DIFFERENT ROOM: 028)
by Dardashti, Radin Jan. 31, 2014

Jan. 31, 2014

Dear all, our "Foundations of Quantum Mechanics" seminar continues Monday with Michael Cuffaro "On the Significance of the Gottesman-Knill Theorem". Abstract: According to the Gottesman-Knill theorem, quantum algorithms utilising operations chosen from a particular restricted set are efficiently simulable classically. Since some of these algorithms involve entangled states, it is commonly concluded that entanglement is not sufficient to enable quantum computers to outperform classical computers. It is argued in this paper, however, that what the Gottesman-Knill theorem shows us is only that if we limit ourselves to the Gottesman-Knill operations, we will not have used the entanglement with which we have been provided to its full potential, for all of the Gottesman-Knill operations are such that their associated statistics (even when they involve entangled states) are reproducible in a local hidden variables theory. It is further argued that considering the Gottesman- Knill theorem is illuminating, not only for our understanding of quantum computation, but also for our understanding of what we take to be a plausible local hidden variables theory, as well as for our understanding of the relationship between all-or-nothing inequalities such as GHZ, and statistical inequalities such as CHSH. Papers can be found in the dropbox link below. The most relevant is Mike's paper: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fgl2j08e51o8wcw/tVbMrg8sc5 Location: Ludwigstr.31, ROOM 028. Time: Monday Feb. 3, 18:00 (s.t.; i.e. not 18:15) Best wishes, Radin

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PHIL-PHYS-GRP: reminder of meeting today
by Erik Curiel Jan. 29, 2014

Jan. 29, 2014

I have two apologies to make. First, due to a logistical screw-up, apparently no general email was sent out last week announcing that the meeting last Wednesday had been postponed. I apologize for that. And it was just drawn to my attention that I neglected to send out an announcement earlier this week about the meeting of the group today, which will take place at the usual time (14:15-15:45) in the usual place (Ludwigstr. 25, room D4c). I apologize for that as well. I hope to see y'all there. E -- Erik Curiel Postdoctoral Fellow Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwigstraße 31 80539 München, Deutschland http://strangebeautiful.com

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Foundations of QM Seminar (Jan. 27)
by Dardashti, Radin Jan. 27, 2014

Jan. 27, 2014

Dear all, our "Foundations of Quantum Mechanics" seminar continues today. I will speak on "The different Faces of Bell's Theorem". Papers can be found in the dropbox link below: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e0rsfy1g39ieto3/oHCCQKX8uh Location: Ludwigstr.31, Room 021. Time: Monday Jan. 27, 18:00 (s.t.; i.e. not 18:15) Best wishes, Radin

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Fwd: Cosmology and Constants of Nature meeting for philosophers of science: Monday 17 March to Weds 19 March (mornings), Cambridge
by Karim Thébault Jan. 25, 2014

Jan. 25, 2014

-------- Cosmology and the Constants of Nature Monday, 17 March 2014 at 09:00 - Wednesday, 19 March 2014 at 15:00 (GMT); DAMTP, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom The Constants of Nature are quantities, whose numerical values we know with the greatest experimental accuracy - but about the rationale for those values, we have the greatest ignorance. We might also ask if they are indeed constant in space and time, and investigate whether their values arise at random or are uniquely determined by some deep theory. This mini-series of talks (in mornings only) is part of the joint Oxford-Cambridge programme on the Philosophy of Cosmology which aims to introduce philosophers of physics to fundamental problems in cosmology and associated areas of high-energy physics. The talks are aimed at philosophers of physics but should also be of interest to a wide range of cosmologists. Speakers will introduce the physical constants that define the standard model of particle physics and cosmology together with the data that determine them, describe observational programmes that test the constancy of traditional 'constants', including the cosmological constant, and discuss how self-consistent theories of varying constants can be formulated. Speakers: John Barrow, University of Cambridge John Ellis, King's College London Pedro Ferreira, University of Oxford Joao Magueijo, Imperial College, London Thanu Padmanabhan, IUCAA, Pune Martin Rees, University of Cambridge John Webb, University of New South Wales, Sydney Registration is free and includes morning coffee and lunch. Participants are requested to register at the conference website; where the full programme of talks can also be found: http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/events/constants2014/ For enquiries about this event please contact Margaret Bull at mmp(a)maths.cam.ac.uk ------ Jeremy Butterfield: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Butterfield Homepage: http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/butterfield/ Trinity College, Cambridge CB2 1TQ Tel: 01223 761524 (office); 07557-668413 (mobile); NB: new mobile number. Visit the journal, Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13552198

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PHILPHYS-RDG-GRP: next meeting
by Erik Curiel Jan. 20, 2014

Jan. 20, 2014

The next meeting of the Munich-area philosophy of physics reading group will take place this Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the usual time (14:15-15:45) in the usual place (Ludwigstr. 25, room D4c). We will read "Hawking Radiation and Black Hole Thermodynamics" by Don Page, a breezy and pleasant introductory overview of the subject. (It has equations and arguments, but no formal proofs, and a lot of fun history.) There is no need to read section 5, "Logarithmic corrections to black hole entropy", as that deals entirely with issues in various quantum gravity programs, which we are not yet studying. If you need a copy of the paper, it it uploaded to the dropbox account for the reading account. If you can't access that, let me know. Hope this finds everyone starting a great new year, and I hope to see you at the reading group. Yours, E -- Erik Curiel Postdoctoral Fellow Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwigstrasse 31 80539 München, Deutschland http://strangebeautiful.com

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Talk by Oliver Pooley at MCMP (Jan 22)
by Dardashti, Radin Jan. 20, 2014

Jan. 20, 2014

Speaker: Oliver Pooley (Oxford) Wednesday 22nd Jan 2014 Location: Ludwigstr. 31 room 021 Time: 18:15 - 19:45 Title: New Work on The Problem of Time Abstract: A central aspect of the "Problem of Time" in canonical general relativity is the result of applying to the theory Dirac's seemingly well-established method of identifying gauge transformations in constrained Hamiltonian theories. This "orthodox" move identifies transformations generated by the first-class constraints as mere gauge. Applied to GR the strategy yields the result that the genuine physical magnitudes of the theory (so identified) do not take on different values at different times. In the context of quantum gravity, this orthodoxy underwrites the derivation of the timeless Wheeler–DeWitt equation. It is thus intimately connected to one of the central interpretative puzzles of the canonical approach to quantum gravity, namely, how to make sense of a profoundly timeless quantum formalism. This talk reviews several disparate challenges to the technical underpinning of the orthodox view that are starting to gain prominence. Three issues, in particular, will be surveyed. One, explored in the work of Salisbury and collaborators and Pitts, concerns the true relationship between transformations identified as gauge symmetries in the context of a Lagrangian formalism and transformations generated by first-class constraints. A second, explored in the work of Barbour, Gryb and Thébault, concerns whether physical magnitudes are required to commute with all first-class constraints in order for a Hamiltonian theory to be manifestly deterministic. Taking on board the lessons from these two areas is not always sufficient to address all apparent indeterminism in the Hamiltonian formalism. The third topic concerns how this should be addressed.

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Foundations of QM Seminar (Jan. 20)
by Dardashti, Radin Jan. 20, 2014

Jan. 20, 2014

Dear all, our "Foundations of Quantum Mechanics" seminar continues today with Richard Dawid on "Against the Empirical Viability of the Deutsch-Wallace-Everett Approach to Quantum Mechanics". Paper can be found in the dropbox link below: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pdtjf4tn6a72f38/dOZxPG0HDg Location: Ludwigstr.31, Room 021. Time: Monday Jan. 20, 18:00 (s.t.; i.e. not 18:15) Best wishes, Radin

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Talk by James P. Sethna at ASC (Jan 16)
by Dardashti, Radin Jan. 15, 2014

Jan. 15, 2014

Speaker: James P. Sethna (Cornell University) Thursday 16th Jan 2014 Location: Room A348/349, Theresienstr. 37/III Time: 12:15 - 13:45 Title: Sloppy Models and How Science Works Abstract: "With four parameters I can fit an elephant; with five I can make it wag its tail.” Systems biology models of the cell have an enormous number of reactions between proteins, RNA, and DNA whose rates (parameters) are hard to measure. Models of climate change, ecosystems, and macroeconomics also have parameters that are hard or impossible to measure directly. If we fit these unknown parameters, fiddling with them until they agree with past experiments, how much can we trust their predictions? Multiparameter fits are sloppy; the parameters can vary over enormous ranges and still agree with past experiments. Nonetheless, they can often make useful predictions about future experiments, even allowing for these huge parameter uncertainties: a few stiff combinations of parameters govern the behavior. Third, these sloppy models all appear strikingly similar to one another – for example, the stiffnesses in every case we’ve studied are spread roughly uniformly over a range of over a million. We will use ideas and methods from differential geometry to explain what sloppiness is and why it happens so often. Finally, we shall show that models in physics are also sloppy – that sloppiness makes science possible.

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Talk by Johannes Thürigen at MCMP (Jan. 15)
by Dardashti, Radin Jan. 13, 2014

Jan. 13, 2014

Speaker: Johannes Thürigen (Albert Einstein Institute) Wednesday 15th Jan 2014 Location: Ludwigstr. 31 room 021 Time: 16:15 - 17:45 Title: Theory convergence in approaches to quantum gravity? Abstract: Theories in (empirical) science can be considered epistemically justified not only according to empirical content but also systematization power and uniformity. In the light of these concepts we present an analysis of the basic structure and intertheoretic relations of some approaches to quantum gravity each starting from quite different assumptions. These are Loop quantum gravity, Spin foams, Causal dynamical triangulations, Regge calculus and Group field theory. The aim of this analysis is to critically discuss an argument of physicists working on quantum gravity, stating that there is some kind of convergence of the mentioned approaches which (at least partially) justifies them. Such an argument would be of high relevance since neither the precise relation to the established theories (and thus the phenomena described by those) nor the derivation of original phenomena might be achievable in the foreseeable future, leaving uniformity as the only epistemological criterion in favor for them. We find that intertheoretic relations can be found mainly at the level of the conceptual framework of the theories, rather than regarding the actual dynamical laws. Therefore a weaker notion of theory relation is needed. The recent concept of theory crystallization is a good candidate and we analyze to what extent the approaches to quantum gravity meet its conditions.

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PHILPHYS-RDG-GRP: next meeting
by Erik Curiel Jan. 12, 2014

Jan. 12, 2014

The next meeting of the Munich-area philosophy of physics reading group will take place this Wednesday, Jan. 15, at the usual time (14:15-15:45) in the usual place (Ludwigstr. 25, room D4c). We will read "Hawking Radiation and Black Hole Thermodynamics" by Don Page, a breezy and pleasant introductory overview of the subject. (It has equations and arguments, but no formal proofs, and a lot of fun history.) There is no need to read section 5, "Logarithmic corrections to black hole entropy", as that deals entirely with issues in various quantum gravity programs, which we are not yet studying. If you need a copy of the paper, it it uploaded to the dropbox account for the reading account. If you can't access that, let me know. Hope this finds everyone starting a great new year, and I hope to see you at the reading group. Yours, E -- Erik Curiel Postdoctoral Fellow Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy Lehrstuhl für Wissenschaftstheorie Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft Ludwigstrasse 31 80539 München, Deutschland http://strangebeautiful.com

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