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Lecture Notes
Chapter 3

Two basic forms

• Path integration
• Piloting

• Velocity: speed and direction
  • Velocity on a plane is a 2-dimensional vector
  • e.g., (10,3) = 10 m/s North and 3 m/s East

   

Need distance and angular information

Overall velocity may not be due to animal's locomotion alone

• e.g., crosswind, current, moving sidewalks, etc.

• Add animal's movement vector to additional vectors

Dedicated neural structure

• Innate process
• Nervous system "does the math"

• Mathematics is a human notational system
• A representation of the world

• Selects for adaptive systems
• Functional (i.e., working) isomorphisms

• Position: coordinates on a map
• Heading: orientation on the map
  • Angular distance between grid north and egocentric north

Egocentric: in relation to self

Geocentric: in relation to fixed point in environment

• Where something is on the map?

• Units of measure?

• Which way is north?

• Doesn't have to be rectangular grid
• e.g., Cartesian vs. polar

• coordinates are invarient on the map
  • Point doesn't move
  • e.g., Edmonton

• Top of the map

• Direction you are facing

• Northern end of earth's axis of rotation

• Direction of magnetic field at a given place
• Can vary from place to place