mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

How does the brain compute with probabilities?

arXiv 2409.02709 ↗First posted 1 Sep 2024q-bio.NC cs.LGcited by 1

Not on the map. Why?

Abstract (arXiv)

This perspective piece is the result of a Generative Adversarial Collaboration (GAC) tackling the question `How does neural activity represent probability distributions?'. We have addressed three major obstacles to progress on answering this question: first, we provide a unified language for defining competing hypotheses. Second, we explain the fundamentals of three prominent proposals for probabilistic computations -- Probabilistic Population Codes (PPCs), Distributed Distributional Codes (DDCs), and Neural Sampling Codes (NSCs) -- and describe similarities and differences in that common language. Third, we review key empirical data previously taken as evidence for at least one of these proposal, and describe how it may or may not be explainable by alternative proposals. Finally, we describe some key challenges in resolving the debate, and propose potential directions to address them through a combination of theory and experiments.

Key facts. Cited by 1 paper in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Builds on 12 of its 162 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 1 Sep 2024.

Builds on

12 of 162 references.

References · 12

  1. 2019A neurally plausible model learns successor representations in partially observable environmentscited by 12
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  5. 2021A Philosophical Understanding of Representation for Neurosciencecited by 6
  6. 2018A probabilistic population code based on neural samplescited by 4
  7. 2024How does the primate brain combine generative and discriminative computations in vision?cited by 4
  8. 2016Inference by Reparameterization in Neural Population Codescited by 3
  9. 2021Interpolating between sampling and variational inference with infinite stochastic mixturescited by 3
  10. 2016Efficient Probabilistic Inference in Generic Neural Networks Trained with Non-Probabilistic Feedbackcited by 2
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