  We investigate the dramatic switch of resistance in ordered correlated
insulators, when driven out of equilibrium by a strong voltage bias.
Microscopic calculations on a driven-dissipative lattice of interacting
electrons explain the main experimental features of resistive switching (RS),
such as the hysteretic $I$-$V$ curves and the formation of hot conductive
filaments. The energy-resolved electron distribution at the RS reveals the
underlying nonequilibrium electronic mechanism, namely Landau-Zener tunneling,
and also justifies a thermal description where the hot-electron temperature,
estimated from the first moment of the distribution, matches the equilibrium
phase transition temperature. We discuss the tangled relationship between
filament growth and negative differential resistance, and the influence of
crystallographic structure and disorder in the RS.
