In this thesis, we study applications of rewriting theory to categorification problems and representation theory. We apply rewriting methods to coherence problems in linear categories and computation of decategorifications.Proofs of coherence results for monoids and monoidal categories by rewriting methods are well known. In particular, several constructions based on Squier's results lead to the computation of coherent presentations of higher-dimensional categories from the confluence diagrams of convergent rewriting systems. In this memoir, we extend those constructions to coherence results for higher-dimensional linear categories.We introduce linear polygraphs to present higher-dimensional linear categories by rewriting systems. We then d...