Category Algebras and States on Categories

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to build a new bridge between category theory and a generalized probability theory known as noncommutative probability or quantum probability, which was originated as a mathematical framework for quantum theory, in terms of states as linear functionals defined on category algebras. We clarify that category algebras can be considered as generalized matrix algebras and that states on categories as linear functionals defined on category algebras turn out to be generalized of probability measures on sets as discrete categories. Moreover, by establishing a generalization of famous GNS (Gelfand-Naimark-Segal) construction, we obtain representations of category algebras of $^{\dagger}$-categories on certain generalized Hilbert spaces which we call semi-Hilbert modules over rigs.