Neural Computation, Vol 10, 549-554, Copyright © 1998 by The MIT Press

NOTES

Axonal Processes and Neural Plasticity: A Reply

T. Elliott, C.I. Howarth and N. R. Shadbolt

We examine the claim that a class of sprouting-and-retraction models is mathematically equivalent to a fixed-anatomy model. We accept, subject to important caveats, a narrow mathematical equivalence of the energy functions in both classes of model. We argue that this narrow equivalence of energy functions does not, however, entail equivalence of the models. Indeed, the claim of complete model equivalence hides significant dynamical differences between the approaches, which we discuss. We also disagree that our work demonstrates that subtractive constraint enforcement is natural in fixed-anatomy models.