English

Introducing categories to the practicing physicist

Quantum Physics 2008-11-14 v1 Mathematical Physics Category Theory Logic math.MP

Abstract

We argue that category theory should become a part of the daily practice of the physicist, and more specific, the quantum physicist and/or informatician. The reason for this is not that category theory is a better way of doing mathematics, but that monoidal categories constitute the actual algebra of practicing physics. We will not provide rigorous definitions or anything resembling a coherent mathematical theory, but we will take the reader for a journey introducing concepts which are part of category theory in a manner that the physicist will recognize them.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0808.1032,
  title  = {Introducing categories to the practicing physicist},
  author = {Bob Coecke},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0808.1032},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

30 pages and 19 pictures

R2 v1 2026-06-21T11:08:28.585Z