Is algebraic statistics nonsense or useful?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relevance of algebraic statistics in addressing bioinformatic and biophysical problems, particularly in relation to protein conformational changes and symmetry. Participants reference key papers by Bernd Sturmfels and Lior Pachter, highlighting their contributions to the field. The conversation suggests that while the concepts may seem complex, they hold potential value for understanding larger biological systems. The book "Life on the Edge" by Johnjoe Mcfadden is also mentioned as a helpful resource for contextualizing these ideas.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of protein conformational changes
  • Familiarity with algebraic statistics concepts
  • Knowledge of bioinformatics principles
  • Basic grasp of entropy and degeneracy in biological systems
NEXT STEPS
  • Read Bernd Sturmfels' paper on algebraic statistics
  • Explore the collaborative work by Sturmfels and Lior Pachter on biological systems
  • Investigate the principles of symmetry in biological contexts
  • Study the implications of entropy and degeneracy in protein dynamics
USEFUL FOR

Researchers in bioinformatics, biophysicists, and anyone interested in the application of algebraic statistics to biological systems will benefit from this discussion.

glaucousNoise
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Hi all,

I've been thinking about bioinformatic and biophysical problems, and have noticed that notions of symmetry keep cropping up. An obvious example would be protein conformational change, since the correlations between atoms induce reductions in the entropy of the system via degeneracy (although this is too unwieldy to exploit it seems). However I was wondering if this principle applied to even larger scale biological systems. In poking around the interwebs, I found this very dense and curious paper by Sturmfels:

http://arxiv.org/abs/0904.4529

as well as this more theory oriented paper by him and Lior Pachter:

http://www.pnas.org/content/101/46/16132.short

I don't have the background to understand this stuff. I wanted to know if anybody thought there was anything to it, or if it is just another useless method.
 
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intriguing, not exactly what I was looking for but interesting all the same
 

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