Topic: internal compass

Are there a set of basic operations that are used as building blocks of computation in the brain? If so, what are these operations? An ideal paradigm for studying this question is 2D path integration: the task of keeping track of one's spatial position over time through incremental addition of displacement vectors. Path integration is a compelling computation to study in that there are many constraints in how one can break it down into simpler operations. Moreover, small-brained organisms like bees, ants, and fruit flies with tractable nervous systems seem able to implement this computation (H