title: No clock to rule them all.
abstract: This article introduces general concepts and definitions related to the notion of asynchronous computation in the framework of artificial neural networks. Using the dynamic field theory as an illustrative example, we explain why one may want to perform such asynchronous computation and how one can implement it since this computational scheme draws several consequences on both the trajectories and the stability of the whole system. After giving an unequivocal definition of asynchronous computation, we present a few practically usable methods and quantitative bounds that can guarantee most of the mesoscopic properties of the system.
authors.affiliation: Lorraine Laboratory of IT Research and its Applications, Mixed Research Unit 7053, National Center for Scientific Research, Campus Scientifique, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France. nfourcau@olfac.univ-lyon1.fr
authors.forename: Wahiba
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Taouali
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Viéville
authors.forename: Nicolas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Rougier
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alexandre
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008959:Models, Neurological; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer