# Chaos and correlated avalanches in excitatory neural networks with synaptic plasticity

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.00252 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1610.00252/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 2 Oct 2016.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Phase transitions in the mini-batch size for sparse and dense two-layer neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.06435/) (2023)
- [Complex Recurrent Spectral Network](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.07296/) (2023)
- [Training Multi-Layer Binary Neural Networks With Local Binary Error Signals](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.00119/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

A collective chaotic phase with power law scaling of activity events is observed in a disordered mean field network of purely excitatory leaky integrate-and-fire neurons with short-term synaptic plasticity. The dynamical phase diagram exhibits two transitions from quasi-synchronous and asynchronous regimes to the nontrivial, collective, bursty regime with avalanches. In the homogeneous case without disorder, the system synchronizes and the bursty behavior is reflected into a doubling-period transition to chaos for a two dimensional discrete map. Numerical simulations show that the bursty chaotic phase with avalanches exhibits a spontaneous emergence of time correlations and enhanced Kolmogorov complexity. Our analysis reveals a mechanism for the generation of irregular avalanches that emerges from the combination of disorder and deterministic underlying chaotic dynamics.