Definition
Spreading activation is a concept originally from cognitive psychology, adapted in neural networks to describe how signal propagation occurs through interconnected units. When a specific node is activated, it sends signals to its neighbors, potentially activating them based on connection weights. In deep learning contexts, this can refer to attention mechanisms or specific regularization techniques where the activation state of one layer influences others, mimicking associative memory processes. It helps in understanding how information flows and reinforces patterns across complex network architectures.
Summary
A cognitive-inspired mechanism where activation of one node triggers activation in connected nodes within a network.
Key Concepts
- Neural connectivity
- Signal propagation
- Associative memory
- Attention mechanisms
Use Cases
- Semantic search engines
- Knowledge graph reasoning
- Cognitive modeling simulations