TY - JOUR AU - Zylberberg, Ariel D AU - Paz, Luciano AU - Roelfsema, Pieter R AU - Dehaene, Stanislas AU - Sigman, Mariano PY - 2013/08/13 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - A neuronal device for the control of multi-step computations JF - Papers in Physics JA - Pap. Phys. VL - 5 IS - 0 SE - Articles DO - 10.4279/pip.050006 UR - https://www.papersinphysics.org/papersinphysics/article/view/147 SP - 050006 AB - <p>We describe the operation of a neuronal device which embodies the computational principles of the `paper-and-pencil' machine envisioned by Alan Turing. The network is based on principles of cortical organization. We develop a plausible solution to implement pointers and investigate how neuronal circuits may instantiate the basic operations involved in assigning a value to a variable (i.e., x=5), in determining whether two variables have the same value and in retrieving the value of a given variable to be accessible to other nodes of the network. We exemplify the collective function of the network in simplified arithmetic and problem solving (blocks-world) tasks.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Received:</strong> 14 June 2013, <strong> </strong><strong>Accepted:</strong> 9 July 2013; <strong>Edited by:</strong> G. B. Mindlin; <strong>DOI: </strong>http://dx.doi.org/10.4279/PIP.050006</p><p><strong>Cite as:</strong> A Zylberberg, L Paz, P R Roelfsema, S Dehaene, M Sigman, Papers in Physics 5, 050006 (2013)</p><p> </p> ER -