New Simons Collaborations: Homological Mirror Symmetry and It from Qubit: Quantum Fields, Gravity, and Information

The Simons Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of two Simons Collaborations in Mathematics and the Physical Sciences: the Simons Collaboration on Homological Mirror Symmetry, directed by Tony Pantev, University of Pennsylvania, and the Simons Collaboration on It from Qubit: Quantum Fields, Gravity, and Information, directed by Patrick Hayden, Stanford University. Simons Collaborations bring together groups of outstanding scientists to address mathematical or theoretical topics of fundamental scientific importance where a significant new development creates a novel area for exploration or provides a new direction for progress in an established field. Collaborations are funded for four years with the possibility of renewal for an additional three years.

Mirror symmetry first emerged in the late 1980s as an unexpected duality between seemingly unrelated quantum field theories. Important work of Yau and of Kontsevich suggested that these dualities were manifestations of deep mathematical connections between previously disparate mathematical disciplines, including algebraic geometry, symplectic topology and category theory. The Simons Collaboration on Homological Mirror Symmetry is motivated by the idea that the time is now ripe to prove fundamental theorems establishing the existence of mirror symmetry in full generality, and to explore the applications of this symmetry.

The Simons Collaboration on It from Qubit: Quantum Fields, Gravity, and Information aims to use insights from quantum information theory and quantum computing to make progress on the deep question of reconciling the laws of quantum mechanics and of gravitation. Perspectives gained from two decades of study of terrestrial quantum phenomena, in particular the recognition of the importance of quantum mechanical entanglement, are providing new insights into quantum field theories and the quantum gravity problems. The collaboration brings together string theorists, computer scientists and quantum information specialists to examine the entanglement properties of quantum field theories and their gravity duals.

More information about each collaboration will be available on our website in the coming weeks.

The Simons Foundation expects to support more collaborations in future years; groups interested in applying should review the Request for Applications available on our website.