Efficient population coding depends on stimulus convergence and source of noise
Fig 4
Optimal thresholds for the independent- and lumped-coding channels.
Optimal thresholds for the independent-coding channel (A-E) compared to the lumped-coding channel (F-J) for a population of three neurons. A. The optimal number of distinct thresholds depends on input noise σ and output noise R. B. The optimal thresholds as a function of output noise for a fixed value of input noise (σ = 0.4). C. The optimal thresholds as a function of input noise for a fixed value of output noise (R = 1). D. The optimal thresholds as a function of output noise in the limit of no input noise (σ = 0). E. The optimal thresholds as a function of input noise in the limit of vanishing output noise (R → ∞). F-J. As (A-E) but for the lumped-coding channel. Intermediate noise levels where bifurcations occur in (G,H) take smaller values of R and σ in the lumped- that in the independent-coding channel since lumping itself acts like a source of noise (G: σ = 0.1, H: R = 9).