Course description
Computational Neuroscience: Neuronal Dynamics of Cognition
What happens in your brain when you make a decision? And what happens if you recall a memory from your last vacation? Why is our perception of simple objects sometimes strangely distorted? How can millions of neurons in the brain work together without a central control unit?
This course explains the mathematical and computational models that are used in the field of theoretical neuroscience to answer the above questions. The core of the answer to cognition may lie in the collective dynamics of thousands of interacting neurons - and these dynamics are mathematically analyzed in this course using methods such as mean-field theory and non-linear differential equations.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
Prerequisites:
Calculus and Differential equations at the level of a bachelor in physics, math, or electrical engineering.
Outcome / Qualification etc.
What you'll learn
By the end of the course,you willbe able to:
- Analyze connected networks in the mean-field limit
- Formalize biological facts into mathematical models
- Understand a simple mathematical model of memory formation in the brain
- Understand a simple mathematical model of decision processes
- Understand cortical field models of perception
Training Course Content
- A) Associative Memory and Hopfield Model
- B) Attractor networks and spiking neurons
- C) Neuronal populations and mean-field theory
- D) Perception and cortical field models
- E) Decision making and competitive dynamics
- F) Synaptic Plasticity and learning
Course delivery details
This course is offered through Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, a partner institute of EdX.
4-6 hours per week
Expenses
- Verified Track -$139
- Audit Track - Free