Statistical mechanics of neocortical interactions: Stability and duration of the 7+-2 rule of short-term-memory capacity

Abstract

This paper is an essential addendum to L. Ingber, ``Statistical mechanics of neocortical interactions. Derivation of short-term-memory capacity,'' Phys. Rev. A 29, 3346-3358 (1984). Calculations are presented here to support the claim there, that there exists an approximate one-dimensional solution to the two-dimensional neocortical Fokker-Planck equation. This solution is extremely useful, not only to obtain a closed algebraic expression for the time of first passage, but also to establish that minima of the associated path-integral stationary Lagrangian are indeed stable points of the transient dynamic system. Also, a relatively nontechnical summary is given of the basic theory.