Ambiguous signals and efficient codes

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how biological sensors with limited capacity can collectively transmit maximum information about a variable, showing that ambiguous responses are optimal in low noise conditions.

Contribution

It demonstrates analytically that ambiguous responses in sensors can optimize information transmission in biological networks under low noise conditions.

Findings

Ambiguous responses can maximize information transmission.

Optimal coding strategies depend on noise levels.

Analytic results derived for low noise scenarios.

Abstract

In many biological networks the responses of individual elements are ambiguous. We consider a scenario in which many sensors respond to a shared signal, each with limited information capacity, and ask that the outputs together convey as much information as possible about an underlying relevant variable. In a low noise limit where we can make analytic progress, we show that individually ambiguous responses optimize overall information transmission.