We're trying to understand how you are able to recognize people when you see them again. We are trying to show mathematically how the brain attempts to match the template of the face you remember with the one you are currently seeing. We'd like to see how this is accomplished in the brain.
Face recognition is a typical example of intelligent behavior, but as it turns out, is very hard.
No computer can do it well. We think that the brain acts like a computer and follows algorithms. We are trying to use analytical tools to figure out the computational steps the brain is taking. We are also developing the mathematical and statistical tools to use for finding patterns in the brain's electrical activity.