Events

Date: 31 January 2025   Time: 15:00 - 17:00

Location: Peter Landin 4.24

Speaker: Fredrik Dahlqvist

Title: On the semantics of conditional branching.

Abstract: Motivated by the non-standard interpretation of if-then-else statements in probabilistic programs we examine different semantics for conditional branching. We then propose a general categorical structure with which to interpret if-then-else statements and provide many examples of categories that possess this structure, covering the semantics of, inter alia, classical, probabilistic, quantum or non-deterministic computations. We examine algebraic structures related to and generated by this categorical structure, in particular on collections of predicates. In this setting we can show that the skew-associativity rules of GKATs and barycentric algebras are two instances of a common skew-associativity rule.

The seminar will be followed by a social event at which all are welcome.