The equations describing how the composition of a solution of self replicating (RNA-like) molecules, introduced by Eigen, were cast in a form treatable by equilibrium statistical mechanics methods by Leuthausser. Since the reproduction frequency ("fitness") exhibits in principle many optima as a function of the primary molecular structure (nucleotide sequence) it can be modeled by random hamiltonians inspired by spin glasses. The simplest such models (inspired by the Hopfield and the Random Energy Model hamiltonians) can be exactly solved, showing a transition from a random (neutral) to an adaptive regime as the frequency of replication errors decreases.
Molecular Quasi-species and Spin Glasses
SELLITTO, Mauro;
1994
Abstract
The equations describing how the composition of a solution of self replicating (RNA-like) molecules, introduced by Eigen, were cast in a form treatable by equilibrium statistical mechanics methods by Leuthausser. Since the reproduction frequency ("fitness") exhibits in principle many optima as a function of the primary molecular structure (nucleotide sequence) it can be modeled by random hamiltonians inspired by spin glasses. The simplest such models (inspired by the Hopfield and the Random Energy Model hamiltonians) can be exactly solved, showing a transition from a random (neutral) to an adaptive regime as the frequency of replication errors decreases.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
