Dear All, The CEU Department of Cognitive Science and the Center for Cognitive Computation (CCC) invites you to the following talk. Speaker: Gašper Tkačik (Institute of Science and Technology Austria) Statistical analysis, optimality, and efficient attentional modulation Abstract: This talk consists of two parts. In the first part, I will briefly outline a way to unify normative (optimization) theories of biological system function with statistical inference. This is achieved a coherent Bayesian framework that embeds a normative theory into a family of maximum-entropy ‘‘optimization priors.’’ This family defines a smooth interpolation between a data-rich inference regime and a data-limited prediction regime. I will use simple examples from neuroscience to show how this framework allows one to address a number of fundamental statistical challenges relating to inference in high-dimensional, biological problems. In the second part, I will present recent work on efficient sensory coding in systems with top-down feedback. In a normative model of dynamic population coding in visual cortex, a perceptual observer constantly and optimally tunes the sensory population to solve a perceptual inference task while maintaining coding efficiency. This optimal behavior leads to attention-like modulation and explains a number of seemingly disparate cortical phenomena. Time: 17:00, Monday, December 18., 2023. Location: CEU, 1051 Budapest, Nádor u. 15, Room 202. and Zoom (Meeting ID: 995 5149 4059<https://ceu-edu.zoom.us/j/99551494059?pwd=ekxKZVVpS3FNekFvUFJQRmpWTVBadz09> Passcode: 086066) Chair: Máté Lengyel Please, be informed that video/photo recording might take place at the event and the edited version of the video material might be published to communicate or promote CEU's activities. Please, find our Privacy Notice here<https://www.ceu.edu/privacy>cy>. Best regards, Ildikó Varga Department Coordinator (Budapest) Department of Cognitive Science [cid:dc33536a-7b6f-474c-aa0e-b1d8a3a84a2b] H-1051 Budapest Nador u. 15. FT room 404 tel: +36-1 327-3000 2941 http://www.ceu.edu<http://www.ceu.edu/> http://cognitivescience.ceu.edu<http://cognitivescience.ceu.edu/> ______________________________________________ Subscribe by sending an empty mail to talks-subscribe(a)cogsci.ceu.edu Unsubscribe by sending an empty mail to talks-unsubscribe(a)cogsci.ceu.edu