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UID:69d4b272778c7
DTSTART:20240709T090000Z
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TRANSP:OPAQUE
LOCATION:ICFO Auditorium and Online (Teams)
SUMMARY:ICFO | EMANUEL CRISTIAN BOGHIU
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:Understanding the cause and effect relationships behind observe
 d correlations is central to how we reason and interact with the world. Ca
 usal relationships help us make sense of the patterns we observe and predi
 ct what interventions in nature might lead to a desired outcome. These pat
 terns can be mathematically framed as the joint probability distribution o
 f a set of classical random variables which capture information gathered f
 rom the environment. This information may range from abstract data\, like 
 survey response statistics\, to physical events\, such as the probability 
 of triggering a photon detector. A fundamental question is that of causal 
 compatibility: Are the observed correlations compatible with a given causa
 l explanation? A causal explanation can be expressed in terms of causal mo
 dels\, which can be systematically studied with the tools provided by the 
 field of causal inference. Causal models consist of observable random vari
 ables with known probability distributions and latent variables with unkno
 wn distributions which\, together\, explain observed correlations through 
 causal influences\, that is\, functional relationships between the values 
 of these variables. Quantum theory---one of the most accurate theories at 
 a fundamental level---is inherently probabilistic. Measurement results are
 \, therefore\, represented as random variables. This naturally leads to ca
 usal analysis: Which cause and effect relationships can explain observed m
 easurement statistics in a quantum experiment? One of the simplest quantum
  experiments is that of two distant parties performing space-like separate
 d\, independently chosen measurements on a shared quantum state. In 1964\,
  John Bell showed that in this experiment quantum theory predicts correlat
 ions that defy any classical common-cause explanation through a result kno
 wn as Bell's Theorem. This phenomenon is known as Bell nonlocality. This t
 hesis aims to operationally characterize the fundamental differences betwe
 en classical and quantum theories within causal scenarios beyond Bell's co
 mmon-cause scenario. Such an understanding may eventually help integrate q
 uantum phenomena into a coherent\, conceptually clear framework of causali
 ty. Towards this goal\, we explore how classical and quantum causal models
  diverge in operational tasks in specific causal scenarios. We focus on si
 mple scenarios that go beyond Bell's\, while seeking to discover new forms
  of quantum advantage that are fundamentally different from traditional Be
 ll nonlocality. Our goal is to link these new forms of quantum advantage t
 o different nonclassical features of quantum theory and study their potent
 ial applications. A critical component of this research is testing for the
  causal compatibility of specific correlations with a given causal model. 
 As such\, an important part of this thesis is dedicated to expanding and r
 efining the scope of current methods for testing causal compatibility.\nTu
 esday July 09\, 11:00 h. ICFO Auditorium and Online (Teams)\nThesis Direct
 or: Prof. Dr. Antonio Ac&iacute\;n
DTSTAMP:20260407T072954Z
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