Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern Generator

The timing patterns of animal gaits are produced by a network of spinal neurons called a Central Pattern Generator (CPG). Pinto and Golubitsky studied a four-node CPG for biped dynamics in which each leg is associated with one flexor node and one extensor node, with Ζ2 x Ζ2 symmetry. They used symme...

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Main Author: Ian Stewart
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2014-01-01
Series:Symmetry
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/6/1/23
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author Ian Stewart
author_facet Ian Stewart
author_sort Ian Stewart
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description The timing patterns of animal gaits are produced by a network of spinal neurons called a Central Pattern Generator (CPG). Pinto and Golubitsky studied a four-node CPG for biped dynamics in which each leg is associated with one flexor node and one extensor node, with Ζ2 x Ζ2 symmetry. They used symmetric bifurcation theory to predict the existence of four primary gaits and seven secondary gaits. We use methods from symmetric bifurcation theory to investigate local bifurcation, both steady-state and Hopf, for their network architecture in a rate model. Rate models incorporate parameters corresponding to the strengths of connections in the CPG: positive for excitatory connections and negative for inhibitory ones. The three-dimensional space of connection strengths is partitioned into regions that correspond to the first local bifurcation from a fully symmetric equilibrium. The partition is polyhedral, and its symmetry group is that of a tetrahedron. It comprises two concentric tetrahedra, subdivided by various symmetry planes. The tetrahedral symmetry arises from the structure of the eigenvalues of the connection matrix, which is involved in, but not equal to, the Jacobian of the rate model at bifurcation points. Some of the results apply to rate equations on more general networks.
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spelling doaj.art-1161287178ca49a19a68315452e14dd12022-12-22T04:20:13ZengMDPI AGSymmetry2073-89942014-01-0161236610.3390/sym6010023sym6010023Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern GeneratorIan Stewart0Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UKThe timing patterns of animal gaits are produced by a network of spinal neurons called a Central Pattern Generator (CPG). Pinto and Golubitsky studied a four-node CPG for biped dynamics in which each leg is associated with one flexor node and one extensor node, with Ζ2 x Ζ2 symmetry. They used symmetric bifurcation theory to predict the existence of four primary gaits and seven secondary gaits. We use methods from symmetric bifurcation theory to investigate local bifurcation, both steady-state and Hopf, for their network architecture in a rate model. Rate models incorporate parameters corresponding to the strengths of connections in the CPG: positive for excitatory connections and negative for inhibitory ones. The three-dimensional space of connection strengths is partitioned into regions that correspond to the first local bifurcation from a fully symmetric equilibrium. The partition is polyhedral, and its symmetry group is that of a tetrahedron. It comprises two concentric tetrahedra, subdivided by various symmetry planes. The tetrahedral symmetry arises from the structure of the eigenvalues of the connection matrix, which is involved in, but not equal to, the Jacobian of the rate model at bifurcation points. Some of the results apply to rate equations on more general networks.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/6/1/23biped gaitsymmetry-breakingrate modelnetworkHopf bifurcationtetrahedral group
spellingShingle Ian Stewart
Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern Generator
Symmetry
biped gait
symmetry-breaking
rate model
network
Hopf bifurcation
tetrahedral group
title Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern Generator
title_full Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern Generator
title_fullStr Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern Generator
title_full_unstemmed Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern Generator
title_short Symmetry-Breaking in a Rate Model for a Biped Locomotion Central Pattern Generator
title_sort symmetry breaking in a rate model for a biped locomotion central pattern generator
topic biped gait
symmetry-breaking
rate model
network
Hopf bifurcation
tetrahedral group
url http://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/6/1/23
work_keys_str_mv AT ianstewart symmetrybreakinginaratemodelforabipedlocomotioncentralpatterngenerator