Similarity-Detection and Localization
Terence Hwa and Michael Lässig
Abstract
The detection of similarities between long DNA and protein sequences
is studied using concepts of statistical physics. It is shown
that mutual similarities can be detected by sequence alignment
methods only if their amount exceeds a threshold value. The onset
of detection is a critical phase transition viewed as a localization-delocalization
transition. The fidelity of the alignment is the order parameter
of that transition; it leads to criteria to select optimal alignment
parameters.
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