The effects of genes on phenotype are mediated by processes that are typically unknown but whose determination is desirable. The conversion from gene to phenotype is not a simple function of individual genes, but involves the complex interactions of many genes; it is what is known as a nonlinear mapping problem. A computational method called genetic programming allows the representation of cand...

Is it really a “law” of languages encompassing everything from human to monkey to DNA? Or is it just an empirical curiosity, of no more system-theoretic significance than, say, a spurious correlation?. But the empirical evidence is mounting that when we finally manage to create a theoretical structure within which to speak mathematically about complex systems, power laws like Zipf’s will appear...

Mathematica is a powerful application package for doing mathematics and is used almost in all branches of science. It has widespread applications ranging from quantum computation, statistical analysis, number theory, zoology, astronomy, and many more. Mathematica gives a rich set of programming extensions to its end-user language, and it permits us to write programs in procedural, functional, o...

We transform probabilistic programs to run more efficiently and read more easily, by composing three semantics-preserving transformations: (1) apply the denotational semantics; (2) improve the resulting integral; then (3) invert the denotational semantics. Whereas step 1 is a straightforward transformation from monadic to continuation-passing style, the rest builds on computer algebra: step 2 r...

This paper is about rule-based problem solving. It has a motto: The less a rule can do, the better the effects of using it can be predicted. This motto suggests the key to obtaining coherent behavior by avoiding exponential behavior (combinatorial explosion) in a problem solving program for the domain of synthesizing numerical computer programs from their non-procedural specifications Introduct...

A complete reconstruction of D.H. Lehmer’s ENIAC set-up for computing the exponents of p modulo 2 is given. This program served as an early test program for the ENIAC (1946). The reconstruction illustrates the difficulties of early programmers to find a way between a man operated and a machine operated computation. These difficulties concern both the content level (the algorithm) and the formal...

A critical discussion is presented on the use of self-replicating program systems as tools for the formulation of generalised theories of evolution. Results generated by such systems must be treated with caution, but, if used properly, they can ooer us unprecedented opportunities for empirical , comparative studies. A new system called Cosmos is introduced, which is based upon Ray's Tierra 15]....

Much fundamental research in computer science is driven by two complementary notions of beauty in programming, that arising from the structure of a program and that arising from the efficiency of an algorithm. As Lewin famously said, “there’s nothing so practical as good theory” [Marrow, 1984]. Decades of experience has borne out the remarkable efficacy of theory in improving the practice of pr...

We present interactive computer programs for the analysis of nucleic acid sequences. In order to handle these programs, minimum computer experience is sufficient. The nucleotide sequence of the human gamma globin gene complex is used as an example to illustrate the data analysis.

Genetic Programming (GP) offers practical advantages to the researcher facing difficult optimization problems. These advantages are multifold, including the simplicity of the approach, its robust response to changing circumstance, its flexibility, and many other facets. GP can be applied to problems where heuristic solutions are not available or generally lead to unsatisfactory results. As a re...