Holdea: Visual Logic Interface

Abstract: There is a simple visualization of logic: relations of types are nodes with ports, equalities are wires connecting ports, conjunction is juxtaposition, negation is wrapping in an opposite color, and entailment is nesting of nodes. This describes the string diagrams of a self-dual cartesian bifibered category, which models a first-order logic.

I'm creating an interface for visual logic - a user connects data, tables become nodes in the canvas, and they can form predicates and rules just by manipulating nodes and wires. It's in the early stage, but the core is established: the visualization generates a prolog query in the side panel, executes, and returns results in the bottom panel. I'll demonstrate, explain some background theory and implementation, and then open discussion.

Moderator: The talk will be moderated by Nathan Haydon. Nathan is a philosopher working on methods of reasoning in logic and science. Much of his work is inspired by Charles S. Peirce, including Peirce’s pragmatism and Peirce’s formal developments in diagrammatic logic. Along these lines, Nathan has most recently been working on the logic of string diagrams. Finally, Nathan is also interested in the broader ethical and meta-ethical positions that follow from scientific reasoning.

Computer scienceMathematics

Audience: researchers in the topic

( video )

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Relatorium seminar

Series comments: The name "Relatorium" combines "relator" with the Latin root "-ium," meaning "a place for activities" (as in "auditorium" or "gymnasium"). This seminar series is a platform to relate ideas, interact with math, and connect with each other.

In this series, we explore math beyond what we usually hear in standard talks. These sessions fall somewhere between a technical talk and a podcast: moderately formal, yet conversational. The philosophy behind the series is that math is best learned by active participation rather than passive listening. Our aim is to “engage and involve,” inviting everyone to think actively with the speaker. The concepts are accessible, exploratory, and intended to spark questions and discussions.

The idea of relatability has strong ties to compassion — creating space for shared understanding and exploration - which is the spirit of this seminar! This is a pilot project, so we’re here to improvise, learn, and evolve as we go!

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