Delay learning and polychronization for reservoir computing

International audienceWe propose a multi-timescale learning rule for spiking neuron networks, in the line of the recently emerging field of reservoir computing. The reservoir is a network model of spiking neurons, with random topology and driven by STDP (Spike-Time-Dependent Plasticity), a temporal Hebbian unsupervised learning mode, biologically observed. The model is further driven by a supervised learning algorithm, based on a margin criterion, that affects the synaptic delays linking the network to the readout neurons, with classification as a goal task. The network processing and the resulting performance can be explained by the concept of polychronization, proposed by Izhikevich (2006, Neural Computation, 18:2), on physiological grounds. The model emphasizes that polychronization can be used as a tool for exploiting the computational power of synaptic delays and for monitoring the topology and activity of a spiking neuron network