Design parameters of the fan-out phase of sensory systems

This paper focuses on the calculation of boundary values for the design parameters in the fan- out phase of the olfactory system of insects. Three main criteria are taken into account to determine the boundaries of the parameters: (i) information conservation, (ii) low energy costs and (iii) full involvement of all the neurons. These criteria serve to determine the structural parameters that produce a sufficient minimal response. Analytical calculations lead to a few general expressions which show how the main internal parameters can be obtained for any system with similar characteristics. We calculate the optimal threshold for coincidence detection, connectivity and output activity values that verify criteria ( i), ( ii) and ( iii). The range of parameter values obtained by these calculations include those observed in the olfactory system of the locust.