The brain’s building blocks for understanding social interactions
Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00738-4The human brain not only remembers who other people are, it also uses basic mathematical functions called basis functions to store information about how people interact — for example, how they work together or compete. Each basis function specifies part of an interaction pattern, and combinations of them specify complex interactions.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00738-4The human brain not only remembers who other people are, it also uses basic mathematical functions called basis functions to store information about how people interact — for example, how they work together or compete. Each basis function specifies part of an interaction pattern, and combinations of them specify complex interactions.