Applied Maths Seminar: Goodhill -- Mathematical models of visual map development in the brain

The visual cortex of animals such as cats, monkey and ferrets contains multiple maps of
features of visual scenes, including visual field position, orientation, direction,
ocular dominance and spatial frequency.  The complex relationships between these maps
provide clues to the strategies the cortex uses for representing and processing
information.  We have modelled the combined development of these maps, based on the idea
that they may attempt to optimize a trade-off between coverage and continuity.  Besides
normal development, these models also reproduce some of the phenomena observed when
animals are raised in abnormal visual environments.  Together these results argue that
mathematical modelling can make an important contribution to our understanding of visual
development.