Discrete and Topological Models in Molecular Biology [Paperback]

Theoretical tools and insights from discrete mathematics, theoretical computer science, and topology now play essential roles in our understanding of vital biomolecular processes. The related methods are now employed in various fields of mathematical biology as instruments to zoom in on processes at a molecular level.This book contains expository chapters on how contemporary models from discrete mathematics  in domains such as algebra, combinatorics, and graph and knot theories  can provide perspective on biomolecular problems ranging from data analysis, molecular and gene arrangements and structures, and knotted DNA embeddings via spatial graph models to the dynamics and kinetics of molecular interactions.The contributing authors are among the leading scientists in this field and the book is a reference for researchers in mathematics and theoretical computer science who are engaged with modeling molecular and biological phenomena using discrete methods. It may also serve as a guide and supplement for graduate courses in mathematical biology or bioinformatics, introducing nontraditional aspects of mathematical biology.

Some of the worlds leading researchers in this high-profile field explain how their methodological innovations in discrete mathematics, computer science, and topology are now being used to unearth the mysteries of biological processes at a molecular level.

Chap. 1 - Perspectives in Computational Genome Analysis.- Chap. 2 - The Sequence Reconstruction Problem.- Chap. 3 - Extracting Coevolving Characters from a Tree of Species.- Chap. 4 - When and How the Perfect Phylogeny Model Explains Evolution.- Chap. 5 - An Invitation to the Study of Brain Networks with Some Statistical Analysis of Thresholding Techniques.- Chap. 6 - Simplicial Models and Topological Inference in Biological Systems.- Chap. 7 - Combinatorial Insights into RNA Secondary Structure.- Chap. 8 - Redundant and Critical Noncovalent Interactions in Protein Rigid Clustel3c