# An Upper Bound on the Number of Discrete States Possible for the Human   Brain

**Authors:** Jon Borresen, Killian O'Brien

arXiv: 1903.10334 · 2019-03-26

## TL;DR

This paper establishes a theoretical upper bound on the number of discrete states the human brain can have, based on synchronization coding, showing it is vastly larger than the capacity of all transistors ever created.

## Contribution

It provides the first strict upper bound on the number of discrete states possible in the human brain under a specific neural coding theory.

## Key findings

- The upper bound on brain states is astronomically large.
- The brain's capacity exceeds that of all transistors ever made.
- Synchronization coding leads to the highest possible number of states.

## Abstract

Human brains are arguably the most complex entities known. Composed of billions of neurons, connected via a highly detailed structure where the underlying method by which functionality occurs is still debated. Here we consider one theory for neural coding, synchronization coding, which gives rise to the highest possible number of discrete states that a brain could exist in. A strict upper bound on the number of these states is determined. We conclude that the theoretical upper limit on the capacity of one human brain is almost inconceivably large and massively larger than the corresponding theoretical limit that could be obtained using every transistor ever built.

## Full text

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## Figures

7 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1903.10334/full.md

## References

12 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1903.10334/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1903.10334