Brain Computation as Hierarchical Abstraction

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Dana H. Ballard (Professor, University of Texas at Austin) Terrence J. Sejnowski (Francis Crick Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies)

Brain Computation as Hierarchical Abstraction

Dana H. Ballard (Professor, University of Texas at Austin), Terrence J. Sejnowski (Francis Crick Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies), Tomaso A. Poggio (Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

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English

MIT Press
20 February 2015

Computer science

Series: Brain Computation as Hierarchical Abstraction

An argument that the complexities of brain function can be understood hierarchically, in terms of different levels of abstraction, as silicon computing is.

The vast differences between the brain's neural circuitry and a computer's silicon circuitry might suggest that they have nothing in common. In fact, as Dana Ballard argues in this book, computational tools are essential for understanding brain function. Ballard shows that the hierarchical organization of the brain has many parallels with the hierarchical organization of computing; as in silicon computing, the complexities of brain computation can be dramatically simplified when its computation is factored into different levels of abstraction.

Drawing on several decades of progress in computational neuroscience, together with recent results in Bayesian and reinforcement learning methodologies, Ballard factors the brain's principal computational issues in terms of their natural place in an overall hierarchy. Each of these factors leads to a fresh perspective. A neural level focuses on the basic forebrain functions and shows how processing demands dictate the extensive use of timing-based circuitry and an overall organization of tabular memories. An embodiment level organization works in reverse, making extensive use of multiplexing and on-demand processing to achieve fast parallel computation. An awareness level focuses on the brain's representations of emotion, attention and consciousness, showing that they can operate with great economy in the context of the neural and embodiment substrates.

By: Dana H. Ballard (Professor University of Texas at Austin)
Series edited by: Terrence J. Sejnowski (Francis Crick Professor Salk Institute for Biological Studies), Tomaso A. Poggio (Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 21mm
ISBN: 9780262534123
ISBN 10: 0262534126
Series: Brain Computation as Hierarchical Abstraction
Pages: 456
Publication Date: 20 February 2015
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Inactive

Dana H. Ballard is Professor in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has appointments in Psychology, the Institute for Neuroscience, and the Center for Perceptual Systems. He is the author of An Introduction to Natural Computation (MIT Press).

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Brain Computation as Hierarchical Abstraction

Dana H. Ballard (Professor, University of Texas at Austin), Terrence J. Sejnowski (Francis Crick Professor, Salk Institute for Biological Studies), Tomaso A. Poggio (Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

$130

Paperback

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