Decreasing-Rate Pruning Optimizes the Construction of Efficient and Robust Distributed Networks

Navlakha, S., Barth, A. L., Bar-Joseph, Z. (July 2015) Decreasing-Rate Pruning Optimizes the Construction of Efficient and Robust Distributed Networks. PLoS Comput Biol, 11 (7). e1004347. ISSN 1553-734x

[thumbnail of Navlakha_2015_Plos.pdf]
Preview
PDF
Navlakha_2015_Plos.pdf - Published Version

Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

Robust, efficient, and low-cost networks are advantageous in both biological and engineered systems. During neural network development in the brain, synapses are massively over-produced and then pruned-back over time. This strategy is not commonly used when designing engineered networks, since adding connections that will soon be removed is considered wasteful. Here, we show that for large distributed routing networks, network function is markedly enhanced by hyper-connectivity followed by aggressive pruning and that the global rate of pruning, a developmental parameter not previously studied by experimentalists, plays a critical role in optimizing network structure. We first used high-throughput image analysis techniques to quantify the rate of pruning in the mammalian neocortex across a broad developmental time window and found that the rate is decreasing over time. Based on these results, we analyzed a model of computational routing networks and show using both theoretical analysis and simulations that decreasing rates lead to more robust and efficient networks compared to other rates. We also present an application of this strategy to improve the distributed design of airline networks. Thus, inspiration from neural network formation suggests effective ways to design distributed networks across several domains.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: bioinformatics > computational biology > algorithms
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > cerebral cortex
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > tissues types and functions > neural networks
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > sub-cellular tissues: types and functions > synapse
organs, tissues, organelles, cell types and functions > cell types and functions > cell functions > synaptic plasticity
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL labs > Navlakha lab
Depositing User: Matthew Dunn
Date: July 2015
Date Deposited: 06 Nov 2019 20:04
Last Modified: 06 Nov 2019 20:04
PMCID: PMC4517947
Related URLs:
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/38696

Actions (login required)

Administrator's edit/view item Administrator's edit/view item