Stephen Selesnick

Emeritus Professor 

I have always been interested in cross discipline interactions both within mathematics and outside of it. Thus my early work was on applying algebraic and topological methods in analysis, quantum logic, lattice theory, etc., and later to such things as surface definitions in CAD/CAM. Later I became interested in physics and have worked in quantum field theory and applications to elementary particles. An attempt to build on the work of the late David Finkelstein led to a monograph in 2 editions purporting to derive the Lagrangians of fundamental physics from first principles. Some of this led to work on quantum computing with the ex-UMSL philosopher J P Rawling (now of Florida State University), and also work with him on the logical provenance of the Lagrangians of the fundamental forces and gravity. More recently I have become interested in the mathematics of neural networks, particularly their mysterious quantum-like aspects, and this has led to joint work with J P Rawling and UMSL philosopher Gualtiero Piccinini. This work was preceded by a paper on the logic of schizophrenia with the British psychiatrist Gareth Owen.