Philosophy of Logic, Mathematics, and Physics Graduate Conference
May 27-28, 2025
Department of Philosophy, Stevenson Hall, Room 1145
For access to the conference via Zoom, please email us at uwolmp@gmail.com
With Keynote Address from Steven Weinstein (University of Waterloo): A Black Box Entanglement Machine
Abstract: Boltzmann machines are probabilistic neural networks inspired by thermal ensembles of particles. We train one of these to output the observed correlations for a variety of measurements on two-particle quantum systems, including both EPR-type entangled pairs and purely local product states. The resulting black box reproduces the quantum statistics at the training temperature, giving a physically inspired but non-quantum model for quantum systems. I’ll show you how the model is constructed, how it generates predictions, why it doesn’t violate Bell’s theorem. Last but not least, I’ll show you the surprising behaviour if we drop the temperature to zero!
REGISTRATION SURVEY
Held in conjunction with the Empiricism and the Methodology of Modern PhysicsConference (May 25-26, 2025)
May 27, 2025
| 9:30am | Javier Medina Barrientos (UCSD) | “Philosophical Puzzles of Warp Drive Spacetimes” |
| 10:30am | Break | |
| 10:45am | Shelly Shi (UCSD) | “Why Not a Gravitational Perpetual Motion Machine?” |
| 11:45am | Lunch | |
| 1:00pm | Bosco Garcia (UCSD) | “Neural Entropy: Between Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics” |
| 2:00pm | Break | |
| 2:15pm | Dominic Ryder (LSE) | “Is Black Hole Evaporation Prediction Friendly?” |
| 3:15pm | Break | |
| 3:45pm | Steven Weinstein (University of Waterloo) | Keynote Address: A black box entanglement machine |
| 7:00 pm | Dinner |
May 28, 2025
| 9:30am | Patrick Fraser (University of Toronto) | “Quantity Valuation in Algebraic Quantum Theory” |
| 10:30am | Break | |
| 10:45am | Ellen Shi (UC Irvine) | “Algebraic Formalisms and Relationalism” |
| 11:45am | Lunch | |
| 1:00pm | Paola Fontana (University of Genoa) | “Abductive Arguments for Paraconsistency” |
| 2:00pm | Break | |
| 2:15pm | Awarding of the Robert K. Clifton Memorial Book Prize | |
The LMP Graduate Conference is supported by the Canadian Journal of Philosophy, the Rotman Institute of Philosophy, Western’s Departments of Philosophy and of Physics, Western’s Society of Graduate Students (SOGS), and Western Research.
Organizers
L. Edward Allore (chair), Jack Johnson (co-chair), Jaipreet Mattu.