population vector

{{Single source|date=May 2025}}

In neuroscience, a population vector is the sum of the preferred directions of a population of neurons, weighted by the respective spike counts.{{Cite journal |last=Westover |first=M. Brandon |last2=Eliasmith |first2=Chris |last3=Anderson |first3=Charles H. |date=June 2002 |title=Linearly decodable functions from neural population codes |journal=Neurocomputing |volume=44-46 |pages=691–696 |doi=10.1016/s0925-2312(02)00459-9 |issn=0925-2312 |pmc=7062372 |pmid=32153318}}

The formula for computing the (normalized) population vector, $F$, takes the following form:

$F\; =\; \backslash frac\{\backslash sum\_j\; m\_j\; F\_j\}\{\backslash sum\_j\; m\_j\}$

Where $m\_j$ is the activity of cell $j$, and $F\_j$ is the preferred input for cell $j$.

Note that the vector $F$ encodes the input direction, $F\_j$, in terms of the activation of a population of neurons.

Category:Computational neuroscience