About

I am a researcher in applied category theory. I have used categories to study quantum theory and more general theories of physical processes, including:

  • reconstructions of quantum theory from simple categorical principles;
  • formalisations of operational physical theories and quantum protocols;
  • categorical models of spatiality and causality.

I am also interested in pure category theory. More recently I have been studying categorical approaches to natural language processing, cognition and consciousness.

Interests

  • Category Theory
  • Quantum Foundations
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Cognition and Consciousness

Education

  • DPhil Computer Science, 2018

    University of Oxford

  • MMath Mathematics, 2013

    University of Cambridge

Bio

I took the MMath in Mathematics at the University of Cambridge before completing a DPhil in the Quantum Group of the Computer Science Department at the University of Oxford, supervised by Bob Coecke and Chris Heunen. My thesis was titled Categorical Operational Physics.

From 2018 to 2019 I held postdoctoral positions in the Oxford Quantum group and the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh.

Since December 2019 I have been a researcher in the Oxford branch of Cambridge Quantum Computing.

Publications

(2020). Integrated Information in Process Theories. Proceedings of SEMSPACE 2020 (To appear).

(2020). Monoidal Categories for Formal Concept Analysis. Proceedings of SEMSPACE 2020 (To appear).

(2020). Monoidal characterisation of groupoids and connectors. Topology and its Applications.

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(2020). Tensor topology. Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra.

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(2020). The mathematical structure of integrated information theory. arXiv preprint arXiv:2002.07655.

(2019). Quotient Categories and Phases. Theory and Applications of Categories, Vol. 34.

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(2018). Space in Monoidal Categories. m̊ Proceedings 14th International Conference on Quantum Physics and Logic, ̊Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 3-7 July 2017.

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(2018). Two Roads to Classicality. m̊ Proceedings 14th International Conference on Quantum Physics and Logic, ̊Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 3-7 July 2017.

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(2017). Condition for an n-permutable category to be Mal’tsev. Cahiers de Topologie et Géométrie Différentielle Catégoriques.

(2017). Picture-perfect Quantum Key Distribution (Pre-print).

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(2015). Categories of relations as models of quantum theory. Proceedings of the 12th International Workshop on Quantum Physics and Logic, Oxford, U.K., July 15-17, 2015.

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Talks

  • Monoidal Categories for Formal Concept Analysis. SEMSPACE 2020. 07/08/20. Video.

  • Integrated Information in Process Theories. SEMSPACE 2020. 07/08/20. Video.

  • Generalised Integrated Information Theories. Models of Consciousness Conference, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford. 09/09/19. Video.

  • Deriving Dagger Compactness. Quantum Physics and Logic Conference, Chapman University California, 14/06/19.

  • Superpositions and Categorical Quantum Reconstructions. Symposium on Compositional Structures, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 17/12/18.

  • A Categorical Reconstruction of Quantum Theory. Quantum Physics and Logic XV Conference, Dalhousie University, 07/06/18. 6th World Congress of Universal Logic, Vichy, 23/06/18.

  • Two Roads to Classicality. Quantum Physics and Logic XIV Conference, Radboud University Nijmegen, 05/07/17. Video.

  • Operational Theories of Physics as Categories. Foundations of Physics 2016 Conference, London School of Economics, 18/07/16.

  • Operational physics, logic and categories. Categories, Logic and Physics Workshop, University of Edinburgh, 14/04/16. Video.

  • A new perspective on internal groupoids and crossed modules. UCL-ULB-VUB Category Theory Seminar, Free University Brussels, 25/01/16.

  • Categories of relations as models of quantum theory. Quantum Physics and Logic XII Conference, University of Oxford, 17/07/15. Video.