Retinal Computation: A Comprehensive Guide

Retinal Computation, authored by Greg Schwartz, delves into the current advancements in understanding the computations performed by the retina. It also covers the synaptic and circuit mechanisms that enable these computations. Each chapter focuses on a specific retinal computation, including its definition, neuroethological purpose, and the known and unknown neuronal mechanisms involved.

The book is designed for advanced graduate students, researchers, and ophthalmologists interested in vision science or computational neuroscience of sensory systems. Unlike the typical textbook’s description of the retina as a biological video camera, the real retina is the world’s most complex image processing machine. It converts patterns of light into a rich palette of representations, encoding features like color, contrast, orientation of edges, and direction of motion.

Key Topics Covered

The book provides a practical guide and resource on the current state of the field of retinal computation. It covers important topics such as:

• Luminance
• Contrast
• Spatial features
• Motion and other computations

Learning Tools and Resources

Each chapter includes discussion questions, a landmark paper, and programming exercises to help readers deepen their understanding of retinal computation. These resources make the book an invaluable tool for those seeking to comprehend the complex image processing capabilities of the retina.

Publication Details

Retinal Computation was published by Elsevier Science on August 7, 2021. The book is available in English and has an ISBN of 9780128198964 (hardcover) and 9780128231777 (e-book).