It is commonly accepted that the olfactory bulb (OB) codes for odor quality by specific patterns of activated glomeruli. However, no such consensus has been reached for how the OB codes for odor concentration. We have constructed a model of the olfactory bulb which is able to generate a "fuzzy code" for odor concentration, while still coding for odor identity and showing synchronization of active mitral cells. The fuzzy code arises from competitive inhibition in the glomerular layer of the model. Fuzzy concentration coding could explain how the OB might encode odor concentration while still encoding odor quality according to the consensus view above.
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