Some Possible Roles for Topos Theory in Quantum Theory and Quantum Gravity

We discuss some ways in which topos theory (a branch of category theory) can be applied to interpretative problems in quantum theory and quantum gravity. In Sec.1, we introduce these problems. In Sec.2, we introduce topos theory, especially the idea of a topos of presheaves. In Sec.3, we discuss several possible applications of topos theory to the problems in Sec.1. In Sec.4, we draw some conclusions.     

A Topos Perspective on State-Vector Reduction

A preliminary investigation is made of possible applications in quantum theory of the topos formed by the collection of all M-sets, where M is a monoid. Earlier results on topos aspects of quantum theory can be rederived in this way. However, the formalism also suggests a new way of constructing a ‘neo-realist’ interpretation of quantum theory in which the truth values of propositions are determined by the actions of the monoid of strings of finite projection operators. By these means, a novel topos perspective is gained on the concept of state-vector reduction.     

A Topos Perspective on State-Vector Reduction

A preliminary investigation is made of possible applications in quantum theory of the topos formed by the collection of all M-sets, where M is a monoid. Earlier results on topos aspects of quantum theory can be rederived in this way. However, the formalism also suggests a new way of constructing a ‘neo-realist’ interpretation of quantum theory in which the truth values of propositions are determined by the actions of the monoid of strings of finite projection operators. By these means, a novel topos perspective is gained on the concept of state-vector reduction.     

Empirical set theory

We share with Foulis and Randall the evangel that it is not orthomodular posets or the like, but manuals of operations that are of primary importance in the foundations of the empirical sciences. In sharp contrast to them, we regard an operation not as a set of possible outcomes, but as a complete Boolean algebra of observable events, which we adopt, following the lines of Davis and of Takeuti, as a building block of our empirical set theory. Just as a smooth manifold is covered by open subsets of a Euclidean space interconnected by smooth mappings, our empirical set theory is covered by the Scott-Solovay universesV ^(B) over complete Boolean algebrasB interconnected by geometric morphisms. Using the nomenclature of topos theory, our empirical set theory is a subcategory of the categoryBIop of Boolean localic toposes and geometric morphisms. It is shown that in this set theory observables can be identified with real numbers. This is the first step of formal development of Davis' ambitious program.     

Double-slit Interference and Temporal Topos

The electron double-slit interference is re-examined from the point of view of temporal topos. Temporal topos (or t-topos) is an abstract algebraic (categorical) method using the theory of sheaves. A brief introduction to t-topos is given. When the structural foundation for describing particles is based on t-topos, the particle-wave duality of electron is a natural consequence. A presheaf associated with the electron represents both particle-like and wave-like properties depending upon whether an object in the site (t-site) is specified (particle-like) or not (wave-like). It is shown that the localization of the electron at one of the slits is equivalent to choosing a particular object in the t-site and that the electron behaves as a wave when it passes through a double-slit because there are more than one object in the t-site. Also, the single-slit diffraction is interpreted as a result of the possibility of many different ways of factoring a morphism between two objects.     

基于运动稳定性轧管机主机头模糊优化设计

为提高轧管机主机头的运动稳定性,改善钢管的轧制质量,本文在对轧管机主机头的结构及运动状态分析的基础上,推导出主机头的运动加速度解析式,并以此为基础,建立模糊优化的数学模型。文中分别以各构件长度尺寸为设计变量,进行单变量模糊优化设计,求得各构件长度的最优取值区间,使主机头的运动稳定性得到较大的提高。本文建立的数学模型对提高轧管机的稳定性及进行优化设计提供了依据,所得出的结论为轧管机的整体优化奠定了研究基础。     

A Topos Perspective on the Kochen-Specker Theorem II. Conceptual Aspects and Classical Analogues

In a previous paper, we proposed assigning asthe value of a physical quantity in quantum theory acertain kind of set (a sieve) of quantities that arefunctions of the given quantity. The motivation was in part physical — such a valuationilluminates the Kochen–Specker theorem — andin part mathematical — the valuation arisesnaturally in the topos theory of presheaves. This paperdiscusses the conceptual aspects of this proposal. We also undertake two othertasks. First, we explain how the proposed valuationscould arise much more generally than just in quantumphysics; in particular, they arise as naturally in classical physics. Second, we give anothermotivation for such valuations (that applies equally toclassical and quantum physics). This arises fromapplying to propositions about the values of physical quantities some general axioms governingpartial truth for any kind of proposition.     

Boolean transfer from coherent quantum logics to quantum logics with continuous superselection rules

Quantum logics with continuous superselection rules are shown to be Booleanvalued coherent quantum logics. Since modern set theory provides a transfer principle from standard mathematics to Boolean-valued mathematics, this makes it possible to transfer automatically well-known results on coherent quantum logics to quantum logics with continuous superselection rules. Many illustrations are given.     

Twin Paradox and the Logical Foundation of Relativity Theory

We study the foundation of space-time theory in the framework of first-order logic (FOL). Since the foundation of mathematics has been successfully carried through (via set theory) in FOL, it is not entirely impossible to do the same for space-time theory (or relativity). First we recall a simple and streamlined FOL-axiomatization Specrel of special relativity from the literature. Specrel is complete with respect to questions about inertial motion. Then we ask ourselves whether we can prove the usual relativistic properties of accelerated motion (e.g., clocks in acceleration) in Specrel. As it turns out, this is practically equivalent to asking whether Specrel is strong enough to “handle” (or treat) accelerated observers. We show that there is a mathematical principle called induction (IND) coming from real analysis which needs to be added to Specrel in order to handle situations involving relativistic acceleration. We present an extended version AccRel of Specrel which is strong enough to handle accelerated motion, in particular, accelerated observers. Among others, we show that~the Twin Paradox becomes provable in AccRel, but it is not provable without IND.     

A Categorial Semantic Representation of Quantum Event Structures

The overwhelming majority of the attempts in exploring the problems related to quantum logical structures and their interpretation have been based on an underlying set-theoretic syntactic language. We propose a transition in the involved syntactic language to tackle these problems from the set-theoretic to the category-theoretic mode, together with a study of the consequent semantic transition in the logical interpretation of quantum event structures. In the present work, this is realized by representing categorically the global structure of a quantum algebra of events (or propositions) in terms of sheaves of local Boolean frames forming Boolean localization functors. The category of sheaves is a topos providing the possibility of applying the powerful logical classification methodology of topos theory with reference to the quantum world. In particular, we show that the topos-theoretic representation scheme of quantum event algebras by means of Boolean localization functors incorporates an object of truth values, which constitutes the appropriate tool for the definition of quantum truth-value assignments to propositions describing the behavior of quantum systems. Effectively, this scheme induces a revised realist account of truth in the quantum domain of discourse. We also include an Appendix, where we compare our topos-theoretic representation scheme of quantum event algebras with other categorial and topos-theoretic approaches.     

Orthogonal Measures on State Spaces and Context Structure of Quantum Theory

An interplay between recent topos theoretic approach and standard convex theoretic approach to quantum theory is discovered. Combining new results on isomorphisms of posets of all abelian subalgebras of von Neumann algebras with classical Tomita’s theorem from state space Choquet theory, we show that order isomorphisms between the sets of orthogonal measures (resp. finitely supported orthogonal measures) on state spaces endowed with the Choquet order are given by Jordan ?-isomorphims between corresponding operator algebras. It provides new complete Jordan invariants for σ-finite von Neumann algebras in terms of decompositions of states and shows that one can recover physical system from associated structure of convex decompositions (discrete or continuous) of a fixed state.     

Topos Perspective on the Kochen-Specker Theorem: I. Quantum States as Generalized Valuations

Any attempt to construct a realistinterpretation of quantum theory founders on theKochen–Specker theorem, which asserts theimpossibility of assigning values to quantum quantitiesin a way that preserves functional relations between them. We constructa new type of valuation which is defined on alloperators, and which respects an appropriate version ofthe functional composition principle. The truth-values assigned to propositions are (i) contextual and(ii) multivalued, where the space of contexts and themultivalued logic for each context come naturally fromthe topos theory of presheaves. The first step in our theory is to demonstrate that theKochen–Specker theorem is equivalent to thestatement that a certain presheaf defined on thecategory of self-adjoint operators has no globalelements. We then show how the use of ideas drawn from the theory ofpresheaves leads to the definition of a generalizedvaluation in quantum theory whose values are sieves ofoperators. In particular, we show how each quantum state leads to such a generalized valuation. Akey ingredient throughout is the idea that, in asituation where no normal truth-value can be given to aproposition asserting that the value of a physical quantity A lies in a subset , it is nevertheless possible toascribe a partial truth-value which is determined by theset of all coarse-grained propositions that assert thatsome function f(A) lies in f(), and that are true in a normalsense. The set of all such coarse-grainings forms asieve on the category of self-adjoint operators, and ishence fundamentally related to the theory ofpresheaves.     

A Topos for Algebraic Quantum Theory

The aim of this paper is to relate algebraic quantum mechanics to topos theory, so as to construct new foundations for quantum logic and quantum spaces. Motivated by Bohr’s idea that the empirical content of quantum physics is accessible only through classical physics, we show how a noncommutative C*-algebra of observables A induces a topos \({\mathcal{T}(A)}\) in which the amalgamation of all of its commutative subalgebras comprises a single commutative C*-algebra \({\underline{A}}\) . According to the constructive Gelfand duality theorem of Banaschewski and Mulvey, the latter has an internal spectrum \({\underline{\Sigma}(\underline{A})}\) in \({\mathcal{T}(A)}\) , which in our approach plays the role of the quantum phase space of the system. Thus we associate a locale (which is the topos-theoretical notion of a space and which intrinsically carries the intuitionistic logical structure of a Heyting algebra) to a C*-algebra (which is the noncommutative notion of a space). In this setting, states on A become probability measures (more precisely, valuations) on \({\underline{\Sigma}}\) , and self-adjoint elements of A define continuous functions (more precisely, locale maps) from \({\underline{\Sigma}}\) to Scott’s interval domain. Noting that open subsets of \({\underline{\Sigma}(\underline{A})}\) correspond to propositions about the system, the pairing map that assigns a (generalized) truth value to a state and a proposition assumes an extremely simple categorical form. Formulated in this way, the quantum theory defined by A is essentially turned into a classical theory, internal to the topos \({\mathcal{T}(A)}\).These results were inspired by the topos-theoretic approach to quantum physics proposed by Butterfield and Isham, as recently generalized by Döring and Isham.     

Identification of m=2 competent mode of complex magneto-hydro-dynamics activities during internal soft disruption based on singular value decomposition and tomography of soft-X-ray emission on the HT-7 tokamak

In this paper,the singular value decomposition(SVD) method as a filter is applied before the tomographic inversion of soft-X-ray emission.Series of ’filtered’ signals including specific chronos and topos are obtained.(Here,chronos and topos are the decomposed spatial vectors and the decomposed temporal vectors,respectively).Given specific magnetic flux function with coupling m = 1 and m = 2 modes,the line-integrated soft-X-ray signals at all chords have been obtained.Then m = 1 and m = 2 modes have been identified by tomography of simulated ’filtered’ signals extracted by the SVD method.Finaly,using the experimental line-integrated soft-X-ray signals,m = 2 competent mode of complex magnetohydrodynamics(MHD) activities during internal soft disruption is observed.This result demonstrates that m = 2 mode plays an important role in internal disruption(Here,m is the poloidal mode number).     

Why finite mathematics is the most fundamental and ultimate quantum theory will be based on finite mathematics

Classical mathematics (involving such notions as infinitely small/large and continuity) is usually treated as fundamental while finite mathematics is treated as inferior which is used only in special applications. We first argue that the situation is the opposite: classical mathematics is only a degenerate special case of finite one and finite mathematics is more pertinent for describing nature than standard one. Then we describe results of a quantum theory based on finite mathematics. Implications for foundation of mathematics are discussed.     

Seismic effects of incident P waves on an embedded foundation in poroelastic half-space

Dynamic vibrations of a circular rigid foundation, which is embedded in poroelastic soil and subjected to incident P waves, are studied by semi-analytical methods in this present work. The motion of the soil is governed by Biot's dynamic poroelastic theory. A set of potentials are introduced to represent the incident waves, and the scattering waves caused by the foundation are considered based on the decomposition of the total wave field in soil. The soil along the vertical side of the foundation is assumed to be composed of series of infinitesimally thin poroelastic layers, while the soil under the foundation base is regarded as the poroelastic half-space and to be independent of the overlying soil. The interaction problem is solved by Hankel transforms. Then, combining the boundary conditions along the contact surface between the soil and the foundation and the dynamic equilibrium equation of the foundation, expressions of the vertical and rocking vibration amplitudes of the embedded foundation excited by the incident P waves are acquired. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the influences of embedded depth, foundation mass, pore water in the soil and incident angle on the vibrations of the foundation.     

Self-adjoint Operators as Functions I

Observables of a quantum system, described by self-adjoint operators in a von Neumann algebra or affiliated with it in the unbounded case, form a conditionally complete lattice when equipped with the spectral order. Using this order-theoretic structure, we develop a new perspective on quantum observables. In this first paper (of two), we show that self-adjoint operators affiliated with a von Neumann algebra ${\mathcal{N}}$ can equivalently be described as certain real-valued functions on the projection lattice ${\mathcal{P}(\mathcal{N}})$ of the algebra, which we call q-observable functions. Bounded self-adjoint operators correspond to q-observable functions with compact image on non-zero projections. These functions, originally defined in a similar form by de Groote (Observables II: quantum observables, 2005), are most naturally seen as adjoints (in the categorical sense) of spectral families. We show how they relate to the daseinisation mapping from the topos approach to quantum theory (Döring and Isham , New Structures for Physics, Springer, Heidelberg, 2011). Moreover, the q-observable functions form a conditionally complete lattice which is shown to be order-isomorphic to the lattice of self-adjoint operators with respect to the spectral order. In a subsequent paper (Döring and Dewitt, 2012, preprint), we will give an interpretation of q-observable functions in terms of quantum probability theory, and using results from the topos approach to quantum theory, we will provide a joint sample space for all quantum observables.