Dynamic Field Theory Summer School 2010

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AbstractThis proposal requests NSF funding to support a summer school on Dynamic Field Theory and its applications to cognitive science, to be held in June 7-11, 2010 at the University of Iowa. Dynamic Field Theory provides a formal framework for thinking about embodied cognitive dynamics. The Summer School is organized so that students receive hands-on experience working with specific dynamic neural field models within their own area of expertise. The Summer School begins with an introduction to the central concepts of dynamical systems theory, and the mathematical and neurophysiological bases of dynamic field theory. Next, students will learn how activation dynamics in neural fields provide critical links to two central challenges in cognitive and developmental science: the integration of processes over multiple time scales and the origin of behavioral flexibility. The final lectures will focus on applications of the theory in different domains, from lower-level examples in the domains of motor control and robotics to higher-level domains including working memory and word learning. Lectures and course materials are freely available at the Summer School website: www.uiowa.edu/~icdls/dft-school/. In addition, students participate in an outreach program which brings an activity called "Overhead 'Bots" to 5-12 year old children from the local community. The activity is a fun way to illustrate the concepts of dynamics, embodied cognition, and robotics.