Motion Contrast Classification Is a Linearly Nonseparable Problem

  • Authors:

  • Alireza S. Mahani;Ralf S. Wessel

  • Affiliations:

  • Physics Department, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, U.S.A.;Physics Department, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, U.S.A.

  • Venue:
  • Neural Computation
  • Year:
  • 2005

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

Sensitivity to image motion contrast, that is, the relative motion between different parts of the visual field, is a common and computationally important property of many neurons in the visual pathways of vertebrates. Here we illustrate that, as a classification problem, motion contrast detection is linearly nonseparable. In order to do so, we prove a theorem stating a sufficient condition for linear nonseparability. We argue that nonlinear combinations of local measurements of velocity at different locations and times are needed in order to solve the motion contrast problem.