Mathematical Preliminaries

First Some Definitions a la NSF

Biomolecular Computation This category includes efforts to exploit biological macromolecules to implement relatively standard methods of computation. Examples are DNA computing, storage media using bacteria rhodopsin and biologically altered cells that do rudimentary operations within the paradigm of traditional computation.

Computational Biology This category includes any effort to solve biological problems by the application of computational methods and tools to model biology and solve detailed mathematical expressions of biological behaviors. Examples include methods of calculating from first principles such as Ab Initio, Monte Carlo or other simulation programs applied to looking at protein-protein interactions, protein folding, drug binding site elucidation, etc.

Bioinformatics This category includes the application of data management, data mining, data modeling and algorithmic techniques to biological databases, such as genome databases and related sequencing information. Examples include in silico models as a predictive method for gene function and data mining for inferring and determining sequence homology information.

Biological Computation or Biological Information Technology This category includes efforts to determine how biology does information technology from the sub-cellular level to the systems and population level. The three main categories that are expanded below are in silico systems for fundamental understanding; hybrid systems to reverse engineer the biology; and systems biology at the multi-cellular level and beyond.

Textbook Status?

Asymptotics and Order Notation

Requisite Formalities

Discussion

Homework