Introduction to Neural Computation

Catalog description

A broad introduction to neural computation. This course will discuss what counts as ‘computation’ and in what sense the brain computes, how it computes, and whether those computations look anything like those performed by digital computers. These ideas and concepts will be introduced through examples of computation in the brain, including the neural bases of sensory perception, decision making, learning and memory, and motor control. Students will learn through in-class demonstrations and activities, as well as homework assignments that give students the opportunity to analyze real neural recordings relevant to each of the topic modules.