Mathematical and statistical methods for genetic analysis (Q1364002)

This book fills an important gap by covering in a unified setting topics dispersed in the research literature. The main purpose is the use of statistical (and mathematical) methods in genetic research, including human genetics (genetic counselling, genetic epidemiology, etc.) The book requires reasonable knowledge of basic probability and theoretical statistics (particularly likelihood), as well as multivariate statistics. Some knowledge of stochastic processes is also required for some items. It includes what one may call crash courses in population and molecular genetics, likelihood maximization methods (EM algorithm included), and in Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. The exercises are useful complements. The book concentrates on ideas and is very demanding to the reader, who has to fill in the details. Other topics covered are: allele frequency estimation, design of linkage experiments, genetic identity coefficients and their applications (genotype prediction, genetic model discrimination, quantitative genetics, etc.), pedigree analysis, polygamic model and applications, reconstruction of evolutionary trees, radiation hybrid mapping, models of recombination, Poisson approximation and application to DNA mapping.