Hello!
Since a lot of you asked about the meaning of question 4.2, we summarize here the clarifications we gave to some of you.
1) "Since 10 lines are required, we were wondering what was the level of detail expected for this question?" What matters is that you show you got the point with a precise and concise way, So get straight to the point and avoid trivial plot description
2) "For the b parameter, how deep are we supposed to go in its biological interpretation?" you are not asked about the biological interpretation, because b is an abstract variable which represents the overall effect of a bunch of biological mechanisms.
3) "We have problems understanding what is the role of a in the simulations." a and b are both coupling parameters, the first links w to u and the second links w to the external spike train. Try to draw your conclusions from this. Fig 6.6 in the book will also help you!
4) "How to interpret: What would be the firing pattern if a is small (in the order of 0.01 nS) ? " The answer to this question is roughly the same as point 3: the system is complex and its behavior depends on the value of many parameters (see Fig 6.6 in the book), but is there anything in common between the two regimes you have to analyze?
Bye,
the TAs
