A time delay in the response of the neurons in a network can induce sustained oscillation and chaos. We present a stability criterion based on local stability analysis to prevent sustained oscillation in symmetric delay networks, and show an example of chaotic dynamics in a non-symmetric delay network.

A time delay in the response of the neurons in a network can induce sustained oscillation and chaos. We present a stability criterion based on local stability analysis to prevent sustained oscillation in symmetric delay networks, and show an example of chaotic dynamics in a non-symmetric delay network.

Basin measurement circuitry periodically opens the network feedback loop, loads raster-scanned initial conditions and examines the resulting attractor. Plotting the basins for fixed points (memories), we show that overloading an associative memory network leads to irregular basin shapes. The network also includes analog time delay circuitry, and we have shown that delay in symmetric networks can introduce basins for oscillatory attractors. Conditions leading to oscillation are related to the presence of frustration; reducing frustration by diluting the connections can stabilize a delay network.

In a useful associative memory, an initial state should lead reliably to the "closest" memory. This requirement suggests that a well-behaved basin of attraction should evenly surround its attractor and have a smooth and regular shape. One dimensional basin maps plotting "pull in" probability against Hamming distance from an attract or do not reveal the shape of the basin in the high dimensional space of initial states9.