17 February 2009
2:30 - 4:00   Samson Abramsky
Temperley-Lieb algebras: from knot theory to logic and computation via quantum mechanics.

Abstract:
Temperley-Lieb algebras play a central role in the Jones polynomial invariant of knots and related developments. They can be understood categorically as freely generated pivotal categories. We relate them to ideas in logic, computation and categorical quantum mechanics. In particular, we use the connections to Geometry of Interaction to give a `fully abstract' (no quotients) presentation of the Temperley-Lieb category.