A New Bi-directional Associative Memory

Abstract. Hebbian hetero-associative learning is inherently asymmetric. Storing a forward association from pattern A to pattern B enables the recalling of pattern B given pattern A. This, in general, does not allow the recalling of pattern A given pattern B. The forward association between A and B will tend to be stronger than the backward association between B and A. In this paper it is described how the dynamical associative model proposed in [10] can be extended to create a bi-directional associative memory where forward association between A and B is equal to backward association between B and A. This implies that storing a forward association, from pattern A to pattern B, would enable the recalling of pattern B given pattern A and the recalling of pattern A given pattern B. We give some formal results that support the functioning of the proposal, and provide some examples were the proposal finds application.