[darcs-devel] Quantum mechanics vs. group theory

[Henning Thielemann]

http://www.darcs.net/ states
 'Darcs is decentralized, based on a "theory of patches" with roots in
quantum mechanics.'

 From what I read about the "theory of patches" I got the impression that
it describes some (algebraic) group. Of course the unitary matrices
together with matrix multiplication form a group and certainly the author
was inspired by them for the development of the theory of patches but the
statement 'with roots in quantum mechanics' suggests that this program
makes use of quantum entanglement, uncertainty principle, or so. But
nothing in the theory of patches seems to be based on group properties
only found in quantum mechanics. Group theory even provides terms like
'subgroup', 'centralizer' and so on which seem to be relevant for the
theory of patches. Since theory of finite groups has prominent
applications for permutations of zeros of polynomials and for description
of Rubik's cube you could also state that Darcs has its roots in the
solution of algebraic equations or in ordering Rubik's cube. :-)