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arXiv:0810.4179q-bio.CB

Memristive model of amoeba's learning

Yuriy V. Pershin, Steven La Fontaine, Massimiliano Di Ventra

Abstract

Recently, it was shown that the amoeba-like cell {\it Physarum polycephalum} when exposed to a pattern of periodic environmental changes learns and adapts its behavior in anticipation of the next stimulus to come. Here we show that such behavior can be mapped into the response of a simple electronic circuit consisting of an $LC$ contour and a memory-resistor (a memristor) to a train of voltage pulses that mimic environment changes. We also identify a possible biological origin of the memristive behavior in the cell. These biological memory features are likely to occur in other unicellular as well as multicellular organisms, albeit in different forms. Therefore, the above memristive circuit model, which has learning properties, is useful to better understand the origins of primitive intelligence.

arXiv comments
Journal reference
Phys. Rev. E 80, 021926 (2009)
DOI
doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.80.021926
Subjects
q-bio.CBCell Behavior cond-mat.otherOther Condensed Matter

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Linked by 2 identifiable commenters in 3 comments across 2 threads, from Jul 2009 to Jul 2009.

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Discussed in comments2 threads

  1. [dead] 1 comment

    • The research paper that the newscientist article is referring to ( http://arxiv.org/pdf/0810.4179v2 ) points to some resonance behavior of memristors' "LC contour". I don't understand memristors very well, but it seems that the only connection between memristors and the amoeba's…

      jaekwonView on HNParent context

  2. Memristor Minds 2 comments

    • Ah. I misread the NewScientist article. It wasn't clear to me that in the experiment to mimic the slime they, in fact, modeled the slime with a circuit that _included_ a memristor and not with just a memristor. The paper the article cites also made things much clearer…

      ntownsendView on HNParent context

    • The research paper that the newscientist article is referring to ( http://arxiv.org/pdf/0810.4179v2 ) points to some resonance behavior of memristors' "LC contour". I don't understand memristors very well, but it seems that the only connection between memristors and the amoeba's…

      jaekwonView on HNParent context

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