Computation in Neural Systems:

Biological and Computational Vision

Thursdays 17.15 h to 19.00 h

(See plan here)

The course starts on Thursday, February 20, 2024 Room Y35-F-32
The lectures will be recorded and the recordings posted here.

Organizer: Prof. Daniel Kiper

This interdisciplinary course is open to all students of the University of Zurich and of the ETH Zurich. Typically, our students come from Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Psychology. Whether you intend to take the course for credit or to just sit in it, you do not have to ask permission, everybody is welcome. This is not a computer vision course, but one that explains the computations performed in biological visual systems.

Materials. The topics covered in each lecture are summarized in the slides used for each lecture, which are available on this website (in pdf format). The main material for the course is therefore your own notes, taken during the lectures. For some lectures, we have additional text, which is also distributed in class. People who would like to know more about vision may want to look at a book: Wandell, B. (1995) Foundations of Vision. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer. Here is a free access to the book.

Assistance. If you do not understand something, fix an appointment with the lecturer. Each lecture will be recorded, but some parts are hard to see/understand on the recording, so I encourage you to attend in person..

Exercises. The exercises will be explained as the semester progresses. Their nature ranges from online experiments to readings of papers.
The exercises are meant to help you evaluate your level of understanding. The correct answers to the exercises will be given in class. The exercises do not count for the final grade.

Language:

The course's official language is English, but you are free to ask questions in German. You can also speak German during the exam if you prefer.

Exam: The exam is a multiple choice exam, and will take place on May 22, 2025, at 5.15 pm, in room Y35-F-32 (i.e. the usual place and time). It lasts 60 minutes and is NOT open book.

Syllabus

The syllabus will be adjusted depending on progress

20.2 Intro and rapid overview of the visual pathway
Here are the slides.
Here is the recording.

27.2. End of intro (we finish the same slides)
I remind you that this will be a short, online session.
Here is the zoom link: https://ethz.zoom.us/j/68807984822
It should all work out. If my internet connection fails, we just postpone to next week.
Don't forget to check whether next week's course takes place on site, on-line, or with a past recordings...

First (easy) exercise: test your blind spot.
Here is the recording.

6.3 Retina.
I could not find a substitute, so I changed my plans. I will teach this lecture on site.
Here are the slides.
And here is the recording.

13.3 Retina continued (same slides).
Here are the mandatory readings (exercises):
Read this chapter (except parts 3,4,5, and 6.)
Read also this one
And this one only up to part 8 (not included).
Not mandatory: The paper on absolute sensitivity of human observers (Hecht, Schlaer and Pirenne)
Start of LGN and cortex. Here are the new slides.
Here is the recording.

20.3 V1 continued (same slides).
Here is the recording.

27.3.2025 V1 continued (same slides still)
Here is the mandatory reading by Hubel and Wiesel.
Here an optional paper on linear systems.
Color vision (slides).
Here is the recording

3.4. End of color vision, motion perception
Here is the recording

10.4 No class (I am away).
Here is a recording of last year's lecture instead (the beginning overlaps a bit with the lecture from 3.4).
I am back next week, so if you have questions, send me an email...

17-24.3 No class (Easter and Esaster break).

1.5 No class, it's also a holiday (May 1st.)...

8.5 Class resumes
Mandatory reading: Read the intro and methods of this paper
and this full paper.
In addition, do the following exercises.
Exercise 1
Exercise 2 (similar to exam questions).