New Video Series "Category Theory: The Beginner's Introduction"

[M.J.M. Codrington]

Hi Scala Users!

I figured many of you in this group would care about my new video series: "Category Theory: The Beginner's Introduction". http://is.gd/ixB72J

I have just completed Lesson 1 (8 videos including the explorations and explorations solutions videos) and am currently working on Lesson 2. Lesson one starts off rather gently, the aim is to introduce the viewer to reasoning with diagram and performing algebra of arrows; I introduce a definition of the Category of Abstract Stets and Arbitrary Mappings, discuss the Terminal and Initial Objects and the Opposite Category, including the nature of maps in that category. I use some examples from music theory to illustrate the concepts of Objects and Arrows in Set.

I apply category theory (to almost everything I do), so this series will be project based. The first project will be building a program in which you can write music/learn about music theory. In Lesson 2, we will explore most of the stock Limits and Co-Limits, except the Product and Co=Product. I will introduce these but will fully explore them in Lesson 3 (I'm currently writing Lesson 2, so this plan may change). Throughout the series I will be visualizing everything we discuss: In Lesson 2 I will introduce 2D animation, and in Lesson 3, 3D animation- to make the more difficult concepts come alive!

I will be taking a concrete approach to Category Theory. I will describe 5 - 10 categories before we even begin talking about functors formally, so that when we do, we will have actual categories to create funtors between, and visualize their action. The Set and many of the "natural" categories that arise out of Set, will of course be essential to understanding functors and natural transformations.

I intend by the end of the series to give you all the knowledge you would gain for a complete understanding of Mac Lane's book (I even decided to discuss topological categories- even though I rarely use them)- plus much more, as i will focus on applying, implementing and calculating with categories. This will obviously take a few months to complete.But I hope that those looking for a complete understanding of 1-Category Theory will find it very useful. I will introduce 2-Categories but only so that I can discuss how you can reformulate any 2-Category Diagram as a 1-Category diagram.

I am a JVM language programmer- mainly Java and Scale. I designed a meta language that in principle can generate any JVM language (I''ve mainly tested it with Java and also with Scala)- since I code mostly alone, I have to be able to rapidly generate software. The language is of course based on Category Theory (it technically just IS Category Theory :p ).

Please let me know if you have any questions. I created a Facebook group:
"<Category Theory, Music, Computer Science>" to discuss the content in the videos: http://is.gd/SJlp7I

Please Follow me on Twitter: @mjmcodrington
g+: google.com/+MJMCodrington

Martin Codrington

[Meredith Gregory]

Dear Martin,

Many thanks for this! i've watched the first few videos of the series and they are excellent. Keep up the good work!

Best wishes,

--greg

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[Josh Hagins]

This is wonderful, thank you! I've been meaning to jump into category theory for a while now, and this provides an excellent excuse :)