population coding

Population coding is a way the brain represents information—such as sensory input—through the combined activity of many neurons, rather than relying on a single neuron. Each neuron responds to specific features and has a certain chance of firing. By analyzing the pattern of activity across a large group of neurons, the brain can accurately interpret complex information like location, movement, or object identity. This distributed approach makes neural representations more precise and robust, as it relies on collective signals rather than individual neuron responses.