Cortical Computation

Christos H. Papadimitriou, Santosh S. Vempala

Abstract: A computational theory of cortex necessitates a novel paradigm of exquisitely distributed computation. Here we review recent work on a primitive called Predictive Join, or PJoin, which is both plausible and useful in regards to cortical computation, and which enables a spontaneous form of unsupervised learning exhibiting many of the characteristics of brain activity. We also outline several immediate goals of a computational research program on the brain.