This book, first published in 2005, offers an introduction to the application of algebraic statistics to computational biology.

Systems Biology is now entering a mature phase in which the key issues are characterising uncertainty and stochastic effects in mathematical models of biological systems. The area is moving towards a full statistical analysis and probabilistic reasoning over the inferences that can be made from mathematical models. This handbook presents a comprehensive guide to the discipline for practitioners and educators, in providing a full and detailed treatment of these important and emerging subjects. Leading experts in systems biology and statistics have come together to provide insight in to the major ideas in the field, and in particular methods of specifying and fitting models, and estimating the unknown parameters. This book: Provides a comprehensive account of inference techniques in systems biology. Introduces classical and Bayesian statistical methods for complex systems. Explores networks and graphical modeling as well as a wide range of statistical models for dynamical systems. Discusses various applications for statistical systems biology, such as gene regulation and signal transduction. Features statistical data analysis on numerous technologies, including metabolic and transcriptomic technologies. Presents an in-depth presentation of reverse engineering approaches. Provides colour illustrations to explain key concepts. This handbook will be a key resource for researchers practising systems biology, and those requiring a comprehensive overview of this important field.

Algebraic statistics uses tools from algebraic geometry, commutative algebra, combinatorics, and their computational sides to address problems in statistics and its applications. The starting point for this connection is the observation that many statistical models are semialgebraic sets. The algebra/statistics connection is now over twenty years old, and this book presents the first broad introductory treatment of the subject. Along with background material in probability, algebra, and statistics, this book covers a range of topics in algebraic statistics including algebraic exponential families, likelihood inference, Fisher's exact test, bounds on entries of contingency tables, design of experiments, identifiability of hidden variable models, phylogenetic models, and model selection. With numerous examples, references, and over 150 exercises, this book is suitable for both classroom use and independent study.

How does an algebraic geometer studying secant varieties further the understanding of hypothesis tests in statistics? Why would a statistician working on factor analysis raise open problems about determinantal varieties? Connections of this type are at the heart of the new field of "algebraic statistics". In this field, mathematicians and statisticians come together to solve statistical inference problems using concepts from algebraic geometry as well as related computational and combinatorial techniques. The goal of these lectures is to introduce newcomers from the different camps to algebraic statistics. The introduction will be centered around the following three observations: many important statistical models correspond to algebraic or semi-algebraic sets of parameters; the geometry of these parameter spaces determines the behaviour of widely used statistical inference procedures; computational algebraic geometry can be used to study parameter spaces and other features of statistical models.

Algebraic statistics is a rapidly developing field, where ideas from statistics and algebra meet and stimulate new research directions. One of the origins of algebraic statistics is the work by Diaconis and Sturmfels in 1998 on the use of Gröbner bases for constructing a connected Markov chain for performing conditional tests of a discrete exponential family. In this book we take up this topic and present a detailed summary of developments following the seminal work of Diaconis and Sturmfels. This book is intended for statisticians with minimal backgrounds in algebra. As we ourselves learned algebraic notions through working on statistical problems and collaborating with notable algebraists, we hope that this book with many practical statistical problems is useful for statisticians to start working on the field.

This book provides an introduction to various aspects of Algebraic Statistics with the principal aim of supporting Master’s and PhD students who wish to explore the algebraic point of view regarding recent developments in Statistics. The focus is on the background needed to explore the connections among discrete random variables. The main objects that encode these relations are multilinear matrices, i.e., tensors. The book aims to settle the basis of the correspondence between properties of tensors and their translation in Algebraic Geometry. It is divided into three parts, on Algebraic Statistics, Multilinear Algebra, and Algebraic Geometry. The primary purpose is to describe a bridge between the three theories, so that results and problems in one theory find a natural translation to the others. This task requires, from the statistical point of view, a rather unusual, but algebraically natural, presentation of random variables and their main classical features. The third part of the book can be considered as a short, almost self-contained, introduction to the basic concepts of algebraic varieties, which are part of the fundamental background for all who work in Algebraic Statistics.

Algebraic and Combinatorial Computational Biology introduces students and researchers to a panorama of powerful and current methods for mathematical problem-solving in modern computational biology. Presented in a modular format, each topic introduces the biological foundations of the field, covers specialized mathematical theory, and concludes by highlighting connections with ongoing research, particularly open questions. The work addresses problems from gene regulation, neuroscience, phylogenetics, molecular networks, assembly and folding of biomolecular structures, and the use of clustering methods in biology. A number of these chapters are surveys of new topics that have not been previously compiled into one unified source. These topics were selected because they highlight the use of technique from algebra and combinatorics that are becoming mainstream in the life sciences. - Integrates a comprehensive selection of tools from computational biology into educational or research programs - Emphasizes practical problem-solving through multiple exercises, projects and spinoff computational simulations - Contains scalable material for use in undergraduate and graduate-level classes and research projects - Introduces the reader to freely-available professional software - Supported by illustrative datasets and adaptable computer code

A decade after the publication of Contemporary Mathematics Vol. 287, the present volume demonstrates the consolidation of important areas, such as algebraic statistics, computational commutative algebra, and deeper aspects of graphical models. --

Written by experts in both mathematics and biology, Algebraic and Discrete Mathematical Methods for Modern Biology offers a bridge between math and biology, providing a framework for simulating, analyzing, predicting, and modulating the behavior of complex biological systems. Each chapter begins with a question from modern biology, followed by the description of certain mathematical methods and theory appropriate in the search of answers. Every topic provides a fast-track pathway through the problem by presenting the biological foundation, covering the relevant mathematical theory, and highlighting connections between them. Many of the projects and exercises embedded in each chapter utilize specialized software, providing students with much-needed familiarity and experience with computing applications, critical components of the "modern biology" skill set. This book is appropriate for mathematics courses such as finite mathematics, discrete structures, linear algebra, abstract/modern algebra, graph theory, probability, bioinformatics, statistics, biostatistics, and modeling, as well as for biology courses such as genetics, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, ecology, and evolution. - Examines significant questions in modern biology and their mathematical treatments - Presents important mathematical concepts and tools in the context of essential biology - Features material of interest to students in both mathematics and biology - Presents chapters in modular format so coverage need not follow the Table of Contents - Introduces projects appropriate for undergraduate research - Utilizes freely accessible software for visualization, simulation, and analysis in modern biology - Requires no calculus as a prerequisite - Provides a complete Solutions Manual - Features a companion website with supplementary resources

The aim of this volume is to explain some of the biology and the computational and mathematical challenges with the modeling and simulation of biological networks. The different chapters provide examples of how these challenges are met, with particular emphasis on nontraditional mathematical approaches. The volume features a broad spectrum of networks across scales, ranging from biochemical networks within a single cell to epidemiological networks encompassing whole cities. Also, this volume is broad in the range of mathematical tools used in solving problems involving these networks.