DNA unzipping via stopped birth and death processes with random probability transition

Pierre Andreoletti (1) , Roland Diel (1)

1 MAPMO - Mathématiques - Analyse, Probabilités, Modélisation - Orléans

In this paper we provide an alternative approach to the works of the physicists S. Cocco and R. Monasson about a model of DNA molecules. The aim is to predict the sequence of bases by mechanical stimulations. The model described by the physicists is a stopped birth and death process with random probabilities of transition. We consider two models, a discrete in time and a continuous in time, as general as possible. We show that explicit formula can be obtained for the probability to be wrong for a given estimator, also we add some generalizations comparing to the initial model allowing us to answer some questions asked by the physicists.

Keywords: DNA unzipping; birth and death processes; random environment; maximum of likelihood

Domains: Applications [stat.AP]

Pierre Andreoletti, Roland Diel. DNA unzipping via stopped birth and death processes with random probability transition. 2011. ⟨hal-00551460v1⟩