Refinement for signal flow graphs

Abstract

The symmetric monoidal theory of Interacting Hopf Algebras provides a sound and complete axiomatisation for linear relations over a given field. As is the case for ordinary relations, linear relations have a natural order that coincides with inclusion. In this paper, we give a presentation for this ordering by extending the theory of Interacting Hopf Algebras with a single additional inequation. We show that the extended theory gives rise to an abelian bicategory - a concept due to Carboni and Walters - and highlight similarities with the algebra of relations. Most importantly, the ordering leads to a well-behaved notion of refinement for signal flow graphs