Neuronal synchrony: peculiarity and generality

Synchronization in neuronal systems is a new and intriguing application of dynamical systems theory. Why are neuronal systems different as a subject for synchronization? (1) Neurons in themselves are multidimensional nonlinear systems that are able to exhibit a wide variety of different activity patterns. Their “dynamical repertoire” includes regular or chaotic spiking, regular or chaotic bursting, multistability, and complex transient regimes. (2) Usually, neuronal oscillations are the result of the cooperative activity of many synaptically connected neurons (a neuronal circuit). Thus, it is necessary to consider synchronization between different neuronal circuits as well. (3) The synapses that implement the coupling between neurons are also dynamical elements and their intrinsic dynamics influences the process of synchronization or entrainment significantly. In this review we will focus on four new problems: (i) the synchronization in minimal neuronal networks with plastic synapses (synchronization with activity dependent coupling), (ii) synchronization of bursts that are generated by a group of nonsymmetrically coupled inhibitory neurons (heteroclinic synchronization), (iii) the coordination of activities of two coupled neuronal networks (partial synchronization of small composite structures), and (iv) coarse grained synchronization in larger systems (synchronization on a mesoscopic scale

Existence of anticipatory, complete and lag synchronizations in time-delay systems

Existence of different kinds of synchronizations, namely anticipatory, complete and lag type synchronizations (both exact and approximate), are shown to be possible in time-delay coupled piecewise linear systems. We deduce stability condition for synchronization of such unidirectionally coupled systems following Krasovskii-Lyapunov theory. Transition from anticipatory to lag synchronization via complete synchronization as a function of coupling delay is discussed. The existence of exact synchronization is preceded by a region of approximate synchronization from desynchronized state as a function of a system parameter, whose value determines the stability condition for synchronization. The results are corroborated by the nature of similarity functions. A new type of oscillating synchronization that oscillates between anticipatory, complete and lag synchronization, is identified as a consequence of delay time modulation with suitable stability condition.Comment: 5 Figures 9 page

Emergence of synchronization induced by the interplay between two prisoner's dilemma games with volunteering in small-world networks

We studied synchronization between prisoner's dilemma games with voluntary participation in two Newman-Watts small-world networks. It was found that there are three kinds of synchronization: partial phase synchronization, total phase synchronization and complete synchronization, for varied coupling factors. Besides, two games can reach complete synchronization for the large enough coupling factor. We also discussed the effect of coupling factor on the amplitude of oscillation of $cooperator$ density.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Parameter mismatches,variable delay times and synchronization in time-delayed systems

We investigate synchronization between two unidirectionally linearly coupled chaotic non-identical time-delayed systems and show that parameter mismatches are of crucial importance to achieve synchronization. We establish that independent of the relation between the delay time in the coupled systems and the coupling delay time, only retarded synchronization with the coupling delay time is obtained. We show that with parameter mismatch or without it neither complete nor anticipating synchronization occurs. We derive existence and stability conditions for the retarded synchronization manifold. We demonstrate our approach using examples of the Ikeda and Mackey-Glass models. Also for the first time we investigate chaos synchronization in time-delayed systems with variable delay time and find both existence and sufficient stability conditions for the retarded synchronization manifold with the coupling delay lag time. Also for the first time we consider synchronization between two unidirectionally coupled chaotic multi-feedback Ikeda systems and derive existence and stability conditions for the different anticipating, lag, and complete synchronization regimes.Comment: 12 page

Synchronization of chaotic oscillator time scales

This paper deals with the chaotic oscillator synchronization. A new approach to detect the synchronized behaviour of chaotic oscillators has been proposed. This approach is based on the analysis of different time scales in the time series generated by the coupled chaotic oscillators. It has been shown that complete synchronization, phase synchronization, lag synchronization and generalized synchronization are the particular cases of the synchronized behavior called as "time--scale synchronization". The quantitative measure of chaotic oscillator synchronous behavior has been proposed. This approach has been applied for the coupled Rossler systems.Comment: 29 pages, 11 figures, published in JETP. 100, 4 (2005) 784-79