Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Leaky integrator

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Leaky integrator

In mathematics, a leaky integrator equation is a specific differential equation, used to describe a component or system that takes the integral of an input, but gradually leaks a small amount of input over time. It appears commonly in hydraulics, electronics, and neuroscience where it can represent either a single neuron or a local population of neurons.

Contents

This is equivalent to a 1st-order lowpass filter with cutoff frequency far below the frequencies of interest.

Equation

The equation is of the form

d x / d t = A x + C

where C is the input and A is the rate of the 'leak'.

General solution

As the equation is a nonhomogenous first-order linear differential equation, its general solution is

x ( t ) = k e A t + x 0 ( t )

where k is a constant, and x 0 is an arbitrary solution of the equation.

References

Leaky integrator Wikipedia