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active_inference_401

README.md

Active Inference 401: Advanced PhD Seminar

Audience: PhD students and researchers Estimated files: 248

Curriculum Statistics

Metric Value
Courses 4
Modules per Course 8
Total Modules 32
Files per Module 7
Estimated Total Files 248
Target Audience PhD students, postdocs, researchers
Prerequisites Graduate-level probability, neuroscience, or philosophy of mind

Overview

Welcome to Active Inference 401 — an advanced seminar for researchers pushing the boundaries of the Free Energy Principle and Active Inference. This curriculum engages with the primary literature, open research questions, and cutting-edge methodological challenges.

Expect rigorous mathematical formalism, critical analysis of foundational assumptions, and engagement with active debates in the field.

Courses

# Course Perspective Lab Type
1 Philosophical Foundations Epistemology, ontology, phenomenology Critical Essay
2 Neuroscientific Frontiers Neural implementation and empirical evidence Data Analysis
3 Advanced Theory Mathematical extensions and open problems Proof / Derivation
4 Research Methods Experimental design and computational modeling Research Proposal

Core Topics

Each course covers the same 8 topics in the same order — the Active Inference "spine":

# Topic 01 Philosophy 02 NeuroFrontiers 03 AdvTheory 04 Methods
1 Systems Ontology of systems Neural systems architecture Category theory System modeling
2 Agents Agency & autonomy Minimal cognition Formal agents Agent design
3 Perception Phenomenology of perception Predictive processing Variational inference Perceptual experiments
4 Cognition Extended mind Hierarchical inference Renormalization group Cognitive modeling
5 Action Enactivism Motor neuroscience Path integrals Action experiments
6 Learning Epistemology Synaptic free energy Structure learning Learning protocols
7 Communication Social ontology Neural communication models Information geometry Communication design
8 Planning Temporal consciousness Prefrontal planning circuits Deep temporal models Planning experiments

Learning Pathway

Start Here
    ↓
[01 Philosophical Foundations] ──→ Conceptual groundwork & critical analysis
    ↓
[02 Neuroscientific Frontiers] ──→ Empirical evidence & neural mechanisms
    ↓
[03 Advanced Theory] ──→ Mathematical depth & open problems
    ↓
[04 Research Methods] ──→ Design your own research

Recommended path: Courses can be taken in any order by advanced researchers, but the sequence above builds from foundations to application. Course 03 requires strong mathematical preparation.

Module Structure

Each module contains 7 files:

File Purpose
module.md Advanced lesson content with primary literature engagement
questions.md Seminar discussion questions
practice_quiz.md Self-assessment (conceptual + derivation)
lab.md Research-oriented activity
dashboard.html Interactive review dashboard
README.md Module overview and navigation
AGENTS.md Content generation guidelines

Shared Resources

Resource Purpose
Glossary Key terms and formal definitions
Notation Table Canonical symbols and conventions
References Primary literature and reading list
Cross-Course Map How modules connect across courses
Learning Pathways Suggested routes through the material
FAQ Frequently asked questions

Design Principles

  1. Research engagement: Every module connects to active research questions
  2. Primary literature: Content is grounded in the original papers, not summaries
  3. Critical analysis: Students are encouraged to question foundational assumptions
  4. Methodological rigor: Labs involve real data analysis, formal proofs, or research design
  5. Interdisciplinary breadth: Philosophy, neuroscience, mathematics, and methodology in dialogue

Directory Map

active_inference_401/
├── README.md              ← You are here
├── AGENTS.md              ← Agent guidelines
├── resources/             ← Shared notation, glossary, references
├── 01_philosophical_foundations/
│   ├── 01_systems/ … 08_planning/   (8 modules)
├── 02_neuroscientific_frontiers/
│   ├── 01_systems/ … 08_planning/   (8 modules)
├── 03_advanced_theory/
│   ├── 01_systems/ … 08_planning/   (8 modules)
└── 04_research_methods/
    ├── 01_systems/ … 08_planning/   (8 modules)

Quick Start

  1. Choose a course based on your research interests.
  2. Start with Module 01 (Systems) and work through sequentially.
  3. Use the dashboard for interactive review.
  4. Complete the lab for hands-on research practice.