Computing with action potentials

John J. Hopfield, Carlos D. Brody, Sam Roweis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Most computational engineering based loosely on biology uses continuous variables to represent neural activity. Yet most neurons communicate with action potentials. The engineering view is equivalent to using a rate-code for representing information and for computing. An increasing number of examples are being discovered in which biology may not be using rate codes. Information can be represented using the timing of action potentials, and efficiently computed with in this representation. The "analog match" problem of odour identification is a simple problem which can be efficiently solved using action potential timing and an underlying rhythm. By using adapting units to effect a fundamental change of representation of a problem, we map the recognition of words (having uniform time-warp) in connected speech into the same analog match problem. We describe the architecture and preliminary results of such a recognition system. Using the fast events of biology in conjunction with an underlying rhythm is one way to overcome the limits of an event- driven view of computation. When the intrinsic hardware is much faster than the time scale of change of inputs, this approach can greatly increase the effective computation per unit time on a given quantity of hardware.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAdvances in Neural Information Processing Systems 10 - Proceedings of the 1997 Conference, NIPS 1997
PublisherNeural information processing systems foundation
Pages166-172
Number of pages7
ISBN (Print)0262100762, 9780262100762
StatePublished - 1998
Externally publishedYes
Event11th Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, NIPS 1997 - Denver, CO, United States
Duration: Dec 1 1997Dec 6 1997

Publication series

NameAdvances in Neural Information Processing Systems
ISSN (Print)1049-5258

Other

Other11th Annual Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, NIPS 1997
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDenver, CO
Period12/1/9712/6/97

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Information Systems
  • Signal Processing

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