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Inference functions and sequence alignment
Student-Run Research Seminar| Speaker: | Sergi Elizalde, MSRI |
| Location: | 693 Kerr |
| Start time: | Wed, Feb 16 2005, 12:10PM |
Statistical models are used to solve certain problems in computational biology, such as determining what parts of the genome will be translated into proteins, or how a DNA sequence evolved into another via a series of mutations, insertions and deletions. The optimal solutions, which depend on the parameters of the model, are given by inference functions. I will prove that the number of inference functions of any graphical model is polynomial in the size of the model. Then I will give applications to optimal sequence alignment, and discuss some open combinatorial problems that arise.