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arXiv · 2504.15197

Extended mean-field theories for networks of real neurons

Luca Di Carlo·Francesca Mignacco·Christopher W. Lynn·William Bialek
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Abstract

If the behavior of a system with many degrees of freedom can be captured by a small number of collective variables, then plausibly there is an underlying mean-field theory. We show that simple versions of this idea fail to describe the patterns of activity in networks of real neurons. An extended mean-field theory that matches the distribution of collective variables is at least consistent, though shows signs that these networks are poised near a critical point, in agreement with other observations. These results suggest a path to analysis of emerging data on ever larger numbers of neurons.

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Luca Di Carlo, Francesca Mignacco, Christopher W. Lynn, William Bialek. 2025-04-21. Extended mean-field theories for networks of real neurons. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15197

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