Topology Seminar-Quantum Entanglement: Physics, Philosophy, and a Foray into Knot Theory

Speaker:  Keshav Srinivasan (GWU)

Time: December 6 (Tuesday), 2022; 4:45pm-6:00

Room:  TOMP 302

Title:  Quantum Entanglement: Physics, Philosophy, and a Foray into Knot Theory

Abstract: We will discuss entanglement, a phenomenon in quantum mechanics whose experimental verification was recognized in the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics.  In the 1930’s, Albert Einstein made an argument that entanglement constituted “spooky action at a distance” in violation of the theory of relativity, necessitating the addition of hidden variables to make the theory complete.  We will explain Bell’s Theorem, which shows that the experimental predictions of quantum mechanics cannot be explained without faster-than-light causation, and its philosophical consequences for interpretations of quantum mechanics.  In the final part of the talk, we will discuss the extent to which the entanglement of knots may be more than just a metaphor for quantum entanglement, drawing on work from Kauffman et al.