Noson S. Yanofsky
Professor
Computer and Information Science
Location: 1430 Ingersoll Hall
Phone: 718.951.5000 x2070
Fax: 718.951.4842
Email:
Noson S. Yanofsky's Web site
Noson Yanofsky entered Brooklyn College as an undergraduate in 1985 and never really left.
Education:
Post-Doc, McGill University - 1998 (Mathematics)
Ph.D., Graduate School & University Center - 1996 (Mathematics, General)
Areas of Expertise:
Yanofsky is interested in theoretical computer science. His main interest is category theory and the many applications it has in computer science, mathematics and physics. He is also interested in quantum computing.
Books and Publications
"Finding Structure in Science and Mathematics"
A fourth place winner in the FQXi 2017 essay contest.
A version of this paper appeared as
"Chaos Makes The Multiverse Unnecessary" Nautilus. June 22, 2017.
http://nautil.us/issue/49/the-absurd/chaos-makes-the-multiverse-unnecessary
(Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2018
Monoidal Categories: A Unifying Concept in Mathematics, Physics, and Computers. A new book project. It should be 500 pages. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2018
Submitted a book for publication "Theoretical Computer Science for the Working Category Theorist". (Books and Publications: Book (Authored)) 2018
"Chaos Makes The Multiverse Unnecessary" Nautilus. June 22, 2017.
http://nautil.us/issue/49/the-absurd/chaos-makes-the-multiverse-unnecessary
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2017
"Computability and Complexity of Categorical Structures."
Submitted to a journal.
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2016
"Galois Theory of Algorithms" published in
Rohit Parikh on Logic, Language and Society edited by
by Can Başkent, Lawrence S. Moss and Ramaswamy Ramanujam. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2016
"Paradoxes, Contradictions, and the Limits of Science" in May-June 2016 American Scientist. In The Best Writing on Mathematics 2017, edited by Mircea Pitici, (Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2016
"The Roll of Symmetry in Mathematics"
Joint work with Mark Zelcer. 24 pages
http://arxiv.org/abs/1502.07803
in Foundations of Science.
(Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2016
"Why Mathematics Works So Well"
A fourth place winner in the FQXi 2015 essay contest ?Trick or Truth:
the Mysterious Connection Between Physics and Mathematics?
http://fqxi.org/community/essay/winners/2015.1#Yanofsky
Also published in Trick or Truth?: The Mysterious Connection Between
Physics and Mathematics, Springer 2016 Edited by
Anthony Aguirre, Brendan Foster , and Zeeya Merali.
(Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2016
"Resolving Paradoxes." Philosophy Now, Feb/Mar. https://philosophynow.org/issues/106/Resolving_Paradoxes. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2015
"Kolmogorov Complexity of Categories." Published in the Abramsky Festschrift. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2013
"Mathematics via Symmetry"
Joint work with Mark Zelcer. 30 pages
http://arxiv.org/abs/1306.4235
(Books and Publications: Article (Other)) 2013
The Outer Limits of Reason: What Science, Mathematics and Logic Cannot Tell Us. MIT Press. (Books and Publications: Forthcoming Publications) 2013
"Towards a Definition of an Algorithm." Journal of Logic and Computation. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2010
"An Introduction to Quantum Computing." Logic at the Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary View. Eds. Amitabha Gupta, Rohit Parikh and Johan van Benthem. (Books and Publications: Book Chapter) 2008
Yanofsky, Noson and Adam Brandenburger. "A Classification of Hidden-Variable Properties." Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2008
Yanofsky, Noson and Joachim Lambek. "A Computational Approach to Biblical Hebrew Conjugation." Computational Algebraic Approaches to Natural Languages. Eds. C. Casadio and J. Lambek. Milan: Polimetrica, Monza. (Books and Publications: Book Chapter) 2008
Yanofsky, Noson and M.A. Mannucci. Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists. Cambridge University Press. (Books and Publications: Book (Authored)) 2008
"A Universal Approach to Self-referential Paradoxes, Incompleteness and Fixed Points." The Bulletin of Symbolic Logic. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2004
"Coherence, Homotopy and 2-Theories." K-Theory 23: 203-35. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2001
"Obstructions to Coherence: Noncoherent Associativity." The Journal of Pure & Applied Algebra 147.2: 175-213. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2000
"The Syntax of Coherence." Cahiers de Topologie et Geométrie Différentielle Catégoriques XLI.4: 255-304. (Books and Publications: Article (Peer-reviewed)) 2000
Awards, Honors and Fellowships
A fourth place winner in the FQXi 2015 essay contest, Trick or Truth: the Mysterious Connection Between Physics and Mathematics. Essay title: "Why Mathematics Works So Well." (Awards and Honors) 2015
"Algorithmic Information of Categories." FQXi. (Grants and Fellowships) 2014
PROSE award, given by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers for best popular science and popular mathematics book, for The Outer Limits of Reason: What Science, Math, and Logic Cannot Tell Us. (Awards and Honors) 2013
IARPA contract, for "Quantum Kan extensions and Applications." (Grants and Fellowships) 2011
Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums
P vs NP Millennium Problem. Talk given at the LeGuadia CC Mathematics Department
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2018
"A categorical approach to the Cayley-Dickson Construction"
Joint Mathematical Meeting 2017, Atlanta Georgia.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2017
"Quantum Algorithms"
Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2017
"Quantum Algorithms"
Quantum and Post Quantum Computing Seminar, GC
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2017
"The Octonions and the Laws of Nature"
Brooklyn College Mathematical Sciences Colloquium
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2017
"Category Theory By Example"
Brooklyn College Mathematical Sciences Colloquium
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2016
"Topos Theory Reading Group --- Sheaves Etale Space and Grothendieck Toposes."
A two-part talk in the Category Theory Seminar
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2016
"An Invitation to Quantum Computing." Borough of Manhattan Community College (CUNY) colloquium. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
"An Invitation to Quantum Computing." CS Club, Math Club and Physics Club, Yeshiva University. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
"Does Mathematics Describe the Physical World?"
Brooklyn College Mathematical Sciences Colloquium
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2015
"Does Mathematics Describe the Physical World?"
Brooklyn College Mathematical Sciences Colloquium
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
"Kolmogorov Complexity of Categorical Structures"
The Graduate Center Computer Science Colloquium.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
"Several No-Go Theorems." Physics Department, Hunter College (CUNY). New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
"The Basics of Quantum Computing"
Brooklyn College Physics Department Colloquium
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
"What Computers Cannot Do"
Lakewood Web Developers
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2015
"A Classification of Unsolvable Problems." The Graduate Center Computer Science Colloquium. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2014
"Algorithmic Information of Categories." CT2014. Cambridge University. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2014
"An Invitation to Quantum Computing." The Math Colloquium Towards STEM at LaGuardia Community College. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2014
"Generalized Kolmogorov Complexity." Seminar in Logic, Probability and Games. CUNY Graduate Center. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2014
"Quantum Computing via Linear Algebra." Brooklyn College Math Club. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2014
"Algorithmic Information of Categories." Union College Mathematics Conference. Category Theory Subject. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2013
"Algorithmic Information of Categories." Sammy Eilenberg Centennial Celebration. Warsaw, Poland. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2013
"An Invitation to Category Theory." The Mathematics Club and the Computer Science Society, Brooklyn College. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
"An Invitation to Quantum Computing." Computer Science Society, Brooklyn College. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
"Galois Theory of Algorithms." Polytech-NYU-Theory Seminar. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
"Kolmogorov Complexity of Categories." Samson Abramsky's Birthday Festival. Oxford University. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
"The Legacy of Epimenides: The Modern Consequences of a 2,600-year-old Paradox." Mathematics Club, Brooklyn College. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
"The Modern Consequences of a 2,500-year-old Paradox." Institute for Retirees in Pursuit of Education, Brooklyn College. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2013
"Galois Theory of Algorithms." Octoberfest 2012. Category Theory. Concordia, Montreal. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2012
"The Outer Limits of Reason." Institute for Retirees in Pursuit of Education, Brooklyn College. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2012
Yanofsky, Noson S. and Ralph Wojtowicz. "Quantum Kan Extensions and Applications." Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity. Quantum Computer Science PI Meeting and Review. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2012
"Bell's Theorem." Mathematics Club, Brooklyn College.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Galois Theory of Algorithms." Computing Laboratory, Departmental Seminar. Oxford University.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Realism and Non-Realism in Particle Physics." Seminar in Logic and Games. CUNY Graduate Center. New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Scientific Limits of Reason." Mathematics Colloquium. LaGuardia Community College.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0xTFmGZptY. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Simplicial Sets and No-Go Theorems." Computing Laboratory, Oxford University.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"The Shape of an Experiment." Experimental Mathematics Seminar. Rutgers University. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH-NGyR7110. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"The Shape of an Experiment." Séminaire Catégories et Physique, Université Paris-Diderot. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Undecidable, Unsolvable and Independence." New York Number Theory Seminar. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2011
"Algorithms as Structured Objects." Stanford Mathematical Logic Seminar. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"Computation and Operads." Special session in "Logic & Foundations of Physics." Association of Symbolic Logic Meeting. Washington, D.C. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"Galois Theory of Algorithms." Kolchin Seminar in Differential Algebra. CUNY Graduate Center. New York. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Contributed Talk) 2010
"On the Utility of Category Theory." Category Theory and Philosophy of Mathematics Today. Paris. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2010
"The Outer Limits of Reason." Mathematics Club, Brooklyn College.
(Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Conference Presentation) 2010
"A Classification of Hidden-Variable Properties" Quantum Computation and the Logics They Imply W
Workshop. Bloomington, Ind. (Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums: Invited Talk) 2009
Professional Leadership
Running the New York City Category Theory Seminar (Professional Leadership: Organizational Leadership Position) 2013
Community Activities
I have been running the New York City Category Theory Seminar since 2009. We are now very active and I am taping the talks to put them on YouTube. 2018
On the Organizing Committee of the OctoberFest Category Theory Conference at CCNY 2018
One-hour interview on the radio about my Outer Limits of Reason book. WBAI. March 20. 2015
