Solution of a chaotic neural network at fixed connectivity

We calculate the moments and response functions of a nonlinear random recurrent neural network in the large-$N$ limit using a diagrammatic technique. Our approach does not require averaging over synaptic weights and gives the first nontrivial term in a $1\mathrm{/}\sqrt{N}$ expansion of general intensive-order correlation functions, proving a recent conjecture by Shen and Hu as a special case. Our results provide an analytical link between synaptic connectivity, correlations in spontaneous activity, and the response of a network to small perturbations.