R. Legenstein and W. Maass
We review methods for estimating the computational capability of a complex
dynamical system. The main examples that we discuss are models for cortical
neural microcircuits with varying degrees of biological accuracy, in the
context of online computations on complex input streams. We address in
particular the question to what extent earlier results ab out the
relationship between the edge of chaos and the compu tational power of
dynamical systems in discrete time for off -line computing also apply to this
case.