Evgenii Dzhivelikian

Evgenii Dzhivelikian, Petr Kuderov, Aleksandr I. Panov

This paper presents a novel approach to address the challenge of online sequence learning for decision making under uncertainty in non-stationary, partially observable environments. The proposed algorithm, Distributed Hebbian Temporal Memory (DHTM), is based on the factor graph formalism and a multi-component neuron model. DHTM aims to capture sequential data relationships and make cumulative predictions about future observations, forming Successor Features (SFs). Inspired by neurophysiological models of the neocortex, the algorithm uses distributed representations, sparse transition matrices, and local Hebbian-like learning rules to overcome the instability and slow learning of traditional temporal memory algorithms such as RNN and HMM. Experimental results show that DHTM outperforms LSTM, RWKV and a biologically inspired HMM-like algorithm, CSCG, on non-stationary data sets. Our results suggest that DHTM is a promising approach to address the challenges of online sequence learning and planning in dynamic environments.

E. A. Dzhivelikian, A. I. Panov

Cognitive maps provide a powerful framework for understanding spatial and abstract reasoning in biological and artificial agents. While recent computational models link cognitive maps to hippocampal-entorhinal mechanisms, they often rely on global optimization rules (e.g., backpropagation) that lack biological plausibility. In this work, we propose a novel cognitive architecture for structuring episodic memories into cognitive maps using local, Hebbian-like learning rules, compatible with neural substrate constraints. Our model integrates the Successor Features framework with episodic memories, enabling incremental, online learning through agent-environment interaction. We demonstrate its efficacy in a partially observable grid-world, where the architecture autonomously organizes memories into structured representations without centralized optimization. This work bridges computational neuroscience and AI, offering a biologically grounded approach to cognitive map formation in artificial adaptive agents.