
Symmetry's Edge in Cortical Dynamics: Multiscale Dynamics of Ensemble Excitation and Inhibition
Creating a quantitative theory for the cortex presents challenges and raises questions. What are the significant scales--micro, meso, or macroscopic? What are the interactions--pairwise, higher order, or mean-field? And what control parameters are relevant--noisy, dissipative, or emergent?
We suggest an approach inspired by advances in understanding matter. This involves identifying invariances in neuron ensemble dynamics, searching for order parameters connecting key degrees of freedom and d…