Mathematical description of the responses of simple cortical cells*

On the basis of measured receptive field profiles and spatial frequency tuning characteristics of simple cortical cells, it can be concluded that the representation of an image in the visual cortex must involve both spatial and spatial frequency variables. In a scheme due to Gabor, an image is represented in terms of localized symmetrical and antisymmetrical elementary signals. Both measured receptive fields and measured spatial frequency tuning curves conform closely to the functional form of Gabor elementary signals. It is argued that the visual cortex representation corresponds closely to the Gabor scheme owing to its advantages in treating the subsequent problem of pattern recognition.