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Eric Rowell (Texas A&M): Mathematical Problems in Topological Quantum Computation

Eric Rowell
April 5, 2019
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
1080 Physics Research Building

Two-dimensional topological states of matter offer a route to quantum computation that would be topologically protected against the nemesis of the quantum circuit model: decoherence.  In this talk I will give a mathematicians’ perspective on some of the advantages and challenges of this model, focusing on the interplay of condensed matter physics, representation theory, low-dimensional topology and category theory.  We will discover some compelling mathematical questions inspired by foundational problems in topological information theory along the way, and I will present a few results and ongoing projects with collaborators.