Iterative Retrieval of Sparsely Coded Associative Memory Patterns

We investigate the pattern completion performance of neural auto-associative memories composed of binary threshold neurons for sparsely coded binary memory patterns. Focussing on iterative retrieval, effective threshold control strategies are introduced. These are investigated by means of computer simulation experiments and analytical treatment. To evaluate the systems performance we consider the completion capacity C and the mean retrieval errors. The asymptotic completion capacity values for the recall of sparsely coded binary patterns in one-step retrieval is known to be ln 2=4 ß 17:32% for binary Hebbian learning, and 1=(8 ln2) ß 18% for additive Hebbian learning [Palm, 1988]. These values are accomplished with vanishing error probability and yet are higher than those obtained in other known neural memory models. Recent investigations on binary Hebbian learning have proved that iterative retrieval as a more refined retrieval method does not improve the asymptotic completion capacit..