Dimension of Activity in Random Neural Networks

Neural networks are high-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems that process information through the coordinated activity of many interconnected units. Understanding how biological and machine-learning networks function and learn requires knowledge of the structure of this coordinated activity, information contained in cross-covariances between units. Although dynamical mean field theory (DMFT) has elucidated several features of random neural networks -- in particular, that they can generate chaotic activity -- existing DMFT approaches do not support the calculation of cross-covariances. We solve this longstanding problem by extending the DMFT approach via a two-site cavity method. This reveals, for the first time, several spatial and temporal features of activity coordination, including the effective dimension, defined as the participation ratio of the spectrum of the covariance matrix. Our results provide a general analytical framework for studying the structure of collective activity in random neural networks and, more broadly, in high-dimensional nonlinear dynamical systems with quenched disorder.