Models of competitive learning: complex dynamics, intermittent conversions and oscillatory coarsening

Abstract

We present two models of competitive learning, which are respectively interfacial and cooperative learning. This learning is outcome-related, so that spatially and temporally local environments influence the conversion of a given site between one of two different types. We focus here on the behavior of the models at coexistence, which yields new critical behavior and the existence of a phase involving a novel type of coarsening which is oscillatory in nature.