Neurons with hysteresis form a network that can learn without any changes in synaptic connection strengths

Abstract

A neural network concept derived from an analogy between the immune system and the central nerous system is outlined. The theory is based on a nervous that is slightly more complicated than the conventional McCullogh‐Pitts type of neuron, in that it exhibits hysteresis at the single cell level. This added complication is compensated by the fact that a network of such neurons is able to learn without the necessity for any changes in synaptic connection strengths. The learning occurs as a natural consequence of interactions between the network and its enviornment, with environmental stimuli moving the system around in an N‐dimensional phase space, until a point in phase space is reached such that the system’s responses are appropriate for dealing with the stimuli. Due to the hysteresis associated with each neuron, the system tends to stay in the region of phase space where it is located. The theory includes a role for sleep in learning.