Principles of signal coding by the discharge pattern of a neuron population.

The principles of information coding by "rings" of stochastic dependence, formed by neuron populations, are described. Such a population was shown to be capable of existing only in strictly definite stochastic states, determined by a certain number of "rings" of stochastic dependence. A system consisting of a fixed number of neurons was shown to be able to code and transmit a number of different messages equal to the square of the number of stochastic states permitted for that system. The number of messages differing from each other either in the number of letters or their order in the word was equal to the number of permitted stochastic states, whereas the number of messages containing the same number of letters in the word was equal to the difference between the number of permitted stochastic states and the number of neurons in the system. The alphabet consists of two letters: A for assembling of the ring of stochastic dependence, and B for breaking of this ring, together with punctuation signs indicating neither assembling nor breaking (compared with the initial state) of stochastic dependence rings.