PATTERN GENERATOR 2)
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J. COLLINS writes: "Scientists believe that insect locomotion is controlled by a network of nerve cells called a central pattern generator (CPG), which produces rhythmic signals. Pattern generators are also involved in many other forms of rhythmic behaviour, including breathing, chewing and sleeping" These CPG, presently a focus of study in insects, could lead to valuable explanations of behavior of more complex animals. Mathematicians have taken up the subject and "have found that the best mathematical models for CPGs are networks of coupled oscillators" (1994, p.36-7)
COLLINS' stimulating paper also connects CPGs with symmetry-breaking processes. It would be interesting to investigate and try to pinpoint CPGs in many other "rhythmic" – i.e.periodic – processes. This could lead to many other systemic conceptual connections.
Categories
- 1) General information
- 2) Methodology or model
- 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
- 4) Human sciences
- 5) Discipline oriented
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Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).
To cite this page, please use the following information:
Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]
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