Competition and cooperation in neuronal processing

A new type of model neuron is introduced as a building block of an associative memory. The neuron, which has a number of receptor zones, processes both the amplitude and the frequency of input signals, associating a small number of features encoded by those signals. Using this two-parameter input in our model compared to the one-dimensional inputs of conventional model neurons (e.g., the McCulloch Pitts neuron) offers an increased memory capacity. In our model, there is a competition among inputs in each zone with a subsequent cooperation of the winners to specify the output. The associative memory consists of a network of such neurons. A state-space model is used to define the neurodynamics. We explore properties of the neuron and the network and demonstrate its favorable capacity and recall capabilities. Finally, the network is used in an application designed to find trademarks that sound alike.