Principle of superposition-free memory

Abstract

The requirement that memory be superposition-free imposes a restrictive condition on the structure of neural models. A simple model which satisfies this condition consists of two levels of neurons, with primary level neurons firing in response to external input and secondary (reference) neurons modifying activated primaries in such a way that they can later fire these primaries. Reference neurons are either activated by other reference neurons (time-ordered memories) or by primaries (content-ordered memories). The model allows for general powers of memory manipulation (e.g. formation of associative memories) through rememorization and has a number of implications which correspond to features of the brain.