English

Learning with a network of competing synapses

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks 2011-10-19 v2 Statistical Mechanics Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems Neurons and Cognition

Abstract

Competition between synapses arises in some forms of correlation-based plasticity. Here we propose a game theory-inspired model of synaptic interactions whose dynamics is driven by competition between synapses in their weak and strong states, which are characterized by different timescales. The learning of inputs and memory are meaningfully definable in an effective description of networked synaptic populations. We study, numerically and analytically, the dynamic responses of the effective system to various signal types, particularly with reference to an existing empirical motor adaptation model. The dependence of the system-level behavior on the synaptic parameters, and the signal strength, is brought out in a clear manner, thus illuminating issues such as those of optimal performance, and the functional role of multiple timescales.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1108.4796,
  title  = {Learning with a network of competing synapses},
  author = {Ajaz Ahmad Bhat and Gaurang Mahajan and Anita Mehta},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1108.4796},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

16 pages, 9 figures; published in PLoS ONE

R2 v1 2026-06-21T18:54:33.732Z