Summary
Recently it was shown (Reichardt 1961) that lateral neural inhibition, such as was found in the lateral eye of Limulus polyphemus by Hartline and Ratliff, can in principle compensate for the dioptric apparatus of the eye. The model of lateral inhibition in Limulus developed there is here considered further, with emphasis on the changes in the effective structure of the nerve network (and the associated vector transformation) resulting from the forced inactivity of fibers whose inhibition exceeds their excitation. The stability of the network model as a function of the inhibition coefficients is studied and two theorems regarding the stability are proven. The dependence of the properties of the network on the pattern of receptor excitation are investigated and it is shown by examples that the network could be used for form discrimination. This model's relationship to previously known pattern recognition systems is discussed and its possible application in computer technology is mentioned.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literatur
Barlow, H. B.: Three points about lateral inhibition. Sensory communication. New York: John Wiley 1961.
Hartline, H. K., and P. R. McDonald: Light and dark adaptation of single photoreceptor elements in the eye of Limulus. J. cell. comp. Physiol. 30, 225 (1947).
Hartline, H. K., and F. Ratliff: Inhibitory interaction of receptor units in the eye of Limulus. J. gen. Physiol. 40, 357 (1957).
Spatial summation of inhibitory influences in the eye of Limulus, and the mutual interaction of receptor units. J. gen. Physiol. 41, 1049 (1958).
Receptor mechanisms and the integration of sensory information in the eye. Rev. mod. Physics 31, 515 (1959).
Hartline, H. K., F. Ratliff and W. H. Miller: Inhibitory interaction in the retina and its significance in vision. Nervous inhibition. New York: Pergamon Press 1961.
Hartline, H. K., H. G. Wagner and E. F. MacNichol: The peripheral origin of nervous activity in the visual system. Cold Spr. Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 17, 69 (1952).
Hartline, H. K., H. G. Wagner and F. Ratliff: Inhibition in the eye of Limulus. J. gen. Physiol. 39, 651 (1956).
Hertz, M.: Die Organisation des optischen Feldes bei der Biene. I. Z. vergl. Physiol. 8, 693 (1929).
Die Organisation des optischen Feldes bei der Biene. II. Z. vergl. Physiol. 11, 107 (1930).
Die Organisation des optischen Feldes bei der Biene. III. Z. vergl. Physiol. 14, 629 (1931).
Nyquist, M.: Regeneration theory. Bell System Techn. J. 11, 126 (1932).
Ratliff, F.: Inhibitory interaction and the detection and enhancement of contours. Sensory communication. New York: John Wiley 1961.
Ratliff, F., and H. K. Hartline: The responses of Limulus optic nerve fibers to patterns of illumination on the receptor mosaic. J. gen. Physiol. 42, 1241 (1959).
Ratliff, F. W. H. Miller and H. K. Hartline: Neural Interaction in the eye and the integration of receptor activity. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 74, 210 (1958).
Ratliff, F., and G. G. Mueller: Synthesis of “On-Off” and “Off” responses in a visual-neural-system. Science 12b, 840 (1957).
Reichardt, W.: Über das optische Auflösungsvermögen der Facettenaugen von Limulus. Kybernetik 1, 57 (1961).
Steinbuch, K.: Automatische Zeichenerkennung. NTZ 11, 210, 237 (1958).
Zurmühl, R.: Matrizen. Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg: Springer 1958.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reichardt, W., Ginitie, G.M. Zur Theorie der lateralen Inhibition. Kybernetik 1, 155–165 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289034
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289034