NEST

NEST is a simulator for spiking neuronal networks. A well tested and efficient tool, NEST works on your laptop and also on the world’s largest supercomputers to study behaviour of large networks of neurons.

542
mentions
119
contributors

Cite this software

What NEST can do for you

NEST: A scalable spiking neural network simulator

NEST is used in computational neuroscience to model and study behavior of large networks of neurons. The models describe single neuron and synapse behavior and their connections. Different mechanisms of plasticity can be used to investigate artificial learning and help to shed light on the fundamental principles of how the brain works.

NEST offers convenient and efficient commands to define and connect large networks, ranging from algorithmically determined connections to data-driven connectivity. Create connections between neurons using numerous synapse models from STDP to gap junctions.

Features

  • Extensive model catalog: NEST offers numerous state-of-the art neuron and synapse models. Textbook standards like integrate-and-fire and Hodgkin-Huxley type models are available alongside high quality implementations of models published by the neuroscience community. We also offer many examples that showcase how to use them!
  • Fast-prototyping: NESTML provides a framework to create models without the use of C++, with a flexible processing toolchain, written in Python.
  • Scalable: NEST works on your laptop and also on the world’s largest supercomputers.
  • Efficient: NEST makes the best use of your multi-core computer or compute cluster. NEST can seamlessly scale to your needs.
  • Well-tested: The simulator is developed and continuously improved by the NEST community. NEST developers are using continuous-integration based workflows in order to maintain high code quality standards for correct and reproducible simulations.
  • Community-driven: NEST has fostered a large community of experienced developers and amazing users, who actively contribute to the project. Our community extends to related projects, like the teaching tool NEST Desktop, cross-simulator languages like PyNN and neural activity analysis tools like Elephant.

Visualization of NEST.

Logo of NEST
Keywords
Programming languages
  • C++ 67%
  • Python 30%
  • CMake 2%
  • Shell 1%
License
  • GPL-2.0-or-later
</>Source code
Packages

Participating organisations

Forschungszentrum Jülich
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
NEST Initiative

Mentions

Contributors

DT
Dennis Terhorst
Software Development Coordinator
Forschungszentrum Jülich
Hans Ekkehard Plesser
Hans Ekkehard Plesser
President, The NEST Initiative
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
AS
Ankur Sinha
UH Biocomputation Group, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
RdS
Robin de Schepper
Institute for Neural Computation, University of Pavia, Italy
JP
Jari Pronold
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6), JARA BRAIN Institute I, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
JM
Jessica Mitchell
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6), JARA BRAIN Institute I, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
HM
Håkon Mørk
Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
PNB
Pooja Nagendra Babu
Simulation Lab Neuroscience, Institute for Advanced Simulation, JARA, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
JE
Jochen Martin Eppler
Simulation Lab Neuroscience, Institute for Advanced Simulation, JARA, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
ML
Melissa Lober
Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-6), Institute for Advanced Simulation (IAS-6), JARA BRAIN Institute I, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
CL
Charl Linssen
Simulation Lab Neuroscience, Institute for Advanced Simulation, JARA, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
MB
Mohamed Ayssar Benelhedi
Simulation Lab Neuroscience, Institute for Advanced Simulation, JARA, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany

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