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Contribution to the probabilistic theory of neural nets: II. Facilitation and threshold phenomena

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Abstract

The output curve of a single neuron with a threshold of response with respect to the frequency of the stimuli is derived. If the stimuli are regularly spaced in time, the output curve has discontinuities. If the threshold and/or refractory period are sufficiently large, the output curve approaches the “all-or-none” curve.

In the case of completely randomized stimuli, the output curve is sigmoid. The equation of this curve is derived and some properties are studied. Threshold and “all-or-none” effects can be achieved by “pyramiding” neurons of this type to converge on neurons of higher order.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Committee on Mathematical Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, USA

    Anatol Rapoport

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  1. Anatol Rapoport
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Rapoport, A. Contribution to the probabilistic theory of neural nets: II. Facilitation and threshold phenomena. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics 12, 187–197 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478318

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478318

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