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13/07/2000, 17:00 — 18:00 — Amphitheatre Pa2, Mathematics Building
, University of California at San Diego

The Role of Algebra in Computer Science

A strong a priori case can be made that so-called general (or universal) algebra should play a fundamental role in computer science. But in fact, it has yet to do so on any large scale, and moreover the best developed branches of modern algebra (e.g., group theory, algebraic geometry, homology) seem doomed to play at most tertiary roles. Set theory and logic of course are basic, but perhaps surprisingly, category theory has a significant, growing and diverse role. We will try to explain why this is, and will give some examples. We will also sketch some as yet little explored application areas for algebra and category theory, such as computability and complexity, modern component-based programming, automated theorem proving, semantics of programming, and user interface design.

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The Mathematics Colloquium is a series of monthly talks organized by the Department of Mathematics of IST, aiming to be a forum for the presentation of mathematical ideas or ideas about Mathematics. The Colloquium welcomes the participation of faculty, researchers and undergraduate or graduate students, of IST or other institutions, and is seen as an opportunity of bringing together and fostering the building up of ideas in an informal atmosphere.

Organizers: Conceição Amado, Lina Oliveira e Maria João Borges.