# Associative Memory **Domain:** Neural Networks / Memory / Cognitive Modeling **Doc Type:** Canonical Concept Node **Maturity:** Foundational ## Definition **Associative memory** stores relationships in a distributed structure so that a complete pattern can be reconstructed from a partial, noisy or related cue. ## 1972 Convergence In 1972, [[wiki/James A. Anderson|James A. Anderson]], [[wiki/Teuvo Kohonen|Teuvo Kohonen]], [[wiki/Kaoru Nakano|Kaoru Nakano]] and [[wiki/Shun-Ichi Amari|Shun-Ichi Amari]] published related associative-memory architectures across the United States, Finland and Japan. ## Technical Context The memory is not retrieved from one address. It is regenerated through the interaction of weighted relations, making graceful degradation and cue-based completion possible. ## See Also [[wiki/Distributed Representation|Distributed Representation]], [[wiki/Hopfield Network|Hopfield Network]], [[wiki/Recurrent Neural Network|Recurrent Neural Network]]