Real Neurons for Machine Learning

par/by François Rivest
Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central
Université de Montréal



In my last presentation, I introduced learning and memory in the brain, that is how different brain regions are learning differently, some learning motor abilities, others learning explicit facts, etc. This time I will give an introduction on how real neurons work. How they maintain electrical potential, how they fire spikes, how they communicate, and finally, how they learn. If time permits, I will show the organization of a real neuron network, either the visual system, or dopaminergic system, an important learning component of the brain. The talk will be adapted for a machine learning audience, no biological background necessary.