Information Processing by Neuron Populations in the Central Nervous System: A Theory of the Mathematical Structure of Data and Operations
In the mammalian central nervous system, neurons are organized into populations communicating by spike trains propagating along axonal bundles. How such populations encode and transform information is only partially understood. In this study we introduce a mathematical framework derived from a mechanistic model of a single plastic neuron. Within this framework, an algebra of convex cones can rigorously characterize population-level activity. This algebra provides a natural language describing information representation and processing. Neuron populations are thereby interpreted not as passive transmitters but as operators acting within this algebraic structure. When interconnected, such populations realize compact algebraic expressions whose functional repertoire includes specialization, generalization, novelty detection, dimensionality reduction, inverse modeling, prediction, and associative memory. Finally, the approach highlights the role of matrix embeddings in extending representational capacity beyond that afforded by vector-based models. In particular, such embeddings support hierarchical concept formation and structured information processing, with potential implications for both cognitive neuroscience and artificial intelligence. This paper assumes familiarity with elementary functional analysis and algebras of operators.