Dynamical mean field approach to associative memory model with non-monotonic transfer functions

Abstract The Hopfield associative memory model stores random patterns in synaptic couplings according to Hebb’s rule and retrieves them through gradient descent on an energy function. This conventional setting, where neurons are assumed to have monotonic transfer functions, has been central to understanding associative memory. Morita (1993 Neural Netw. 6 115), however, showed that introducing non-monotonic transfer functions can dramatically enhance retrieval performance. While this phenomenon has been qualitatively examined, a full quantitative theory remains elusive due to the difficulty of analysis in the absence of an underlying energy function. In this work, we apply dynamical mean-field theory to the discrete-time synchronous retrieval dynamics of the non-monotonic model, which succeeds in accurately characterizing its macroscopic dynamical properties. We also derive conditions for retrieval states, and clarify their relation to previous studies. Our results provide new insights into the non-equilibrium retrieval dynamics of associative memory models.