Not One, but Many Critical States: A Dynamical Systems Perspective

The past decade has seen growing support for the critical brain hypothesis, i.e., the possibility that the brain could operate at or very near a critical state between two different dynamical regimes. Such critical states are well-studied in different disciplines, therefore there is potential for a continued transfer of knowledge. Here, I revisit foundations of bifurcation theory, the mathematical theory of transitions. While the mathematics is well-known it's transfer to neural dynamics leads to new insights and hypothesis.

Automated summary

The past decade has witnessed a growing support for the critical brain hypothesis, suggesting the brain may operate at or very near a critical state between different dynamical regimes. While critical states are well-studied in various disciplines, the revisit of bifurcation theory foundation, the mathematical theory of transitions, has brought new insights and hypotheses when applied to neural dynamics.