The term "infinitesimal model" can refer to various concepts depending on the context in which it is used. Infinitesimals are quantities that are closer to zero than any standard real number but are not zero themselves. In mathematics and physics, infinitesimals can be used to develop models and theories that involve very small quantities.
Inclusive composite interval mapping (ICIM) is a statistical method used primarily in genetic mapping studies, especially in the context of quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. This method is utilized to identify the locations of genes associated with traits of interest in plants and animals.
Imputation in genetics refers to the process of inferring or predicting missing genotype data in genetic studies. This is particularly relevant in the context of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and large-scale genotyping projects, where it is common to encounter incomplete datasets due to the limitations of genotyping technologies.
An idealized population refers to a theoretical concept in which certain simplified assumptions are made about a population for modeling or analytical purposes. This concept is often used in fields like ecology, biology, sociology, and economics to study population dynamics without the complexity of real-world variables. Key characteristics of an idealized population might include: 1. **Homogeneity**: All individuals are often assumed to be identical in terms of traits such as birth rates, death rates, and reproductive behavior.
The Hardy-Weinberg principle is a foundational concept in population genetics that describes how allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of evolutionary influences. This principle is based on several key assumptions: 1. **Large Population Size**: The population must be large enough to prevent random fluctuations in allele frequencies (genetic drift). 2. **No Mutations**: There should be no new mutations that introduce new alleles into the population.
Genomic control, often referred to as genomic selection or genomic prediction, is a method used in genetics and genomics to improve the accuracy of breeding programs. It is primarily applied in agriculture, animal breeding, and plant breeding to enhance desired traits in organisms, such as yield, disease resistance, or environmental adaptability. The concept involves using genome-wide information, typically derived from high-throughput genotyping technologies, to identify genetic markers associated with specific traits.
Genome-wide significance refers to a statistical threshold used in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to determine whether a particular association between a genetic variant and a trait (such as a disease) is strong enough to be considered reliable and not due to chance. Given the vast number of genetic variants tested in GWAS—often millions—there's a high risk of false positives due to random chance. To address this, researchers apply a stringent significance threshold.
Genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA) is an analytical framework used to estimate the genetic variance of complex traits based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. It is particularly useful in understanding the heritability of traits that are influenced by multiple genetic factors, as well as environmental influences.
Genetic correlation refers to the sharing of genetic influences between two traits or characteristics. It is a measure of the extent to which the genetic factors that affect one trait also affect another. Genetic correlation can be understood in the context of how genes contribute to variations in traits within a population. Key points about genetic correlation include: 1. **Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL)**: Genetic correlation often arises because certain genes (or sets of genes) influence multiple traits.
The Fleming-Viot process is a type of stochastic process that is used to model the evolution of genetic diversity in a population over time. It is particularly relevant in the fields of population genetics and mathematical biology. The process incorporates ideas from both diffusion processes and the theory of random measures, making it a powerful tool to study how genetic traits spread and how populations evolve.
Felsenstein's tree-pruning algorithm is a computational method used in the field of phylogenetics, specifically for inferring and manipulating evolutionary trees. The algorithm is particularly effective for calculating likelihoods of trees under certain models of evolution, and it helps in the process of tree rearrangement and evaluation.
Fay and Wu's H is a statistic used in population genetics to measure the level of heterozygosity—or genetic variation—in a set of genes or populations. It is particularly useful for assessing deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, which assumes that allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain constant over generations in the absence of evolutionary influences. The H statistic can be employed to detect population structure and inbreeding.
Family-based QTL (Quantitative Trait Locus) mapping is a genetic approach used to identify and locate the genes that contribute to quantitative traits—phenotypic characteristics that vary in degree and can be influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors. QTL mapping aims to establish a statistical relationship between observed traits and genetic markers. In family-based QTL mapping, the focus is typically on utilizing family structures such as pedigrees or related individuals (e.g.
Falconer's formula, often referred to in the context of geometric measure theory and fractal geometry, pertains to the dimension of the projections of sets in Euclidean spaces. The formula is primarily associated with the study of the Hausdorff dimension of a set and how this dimension can change under projections.
Extinction probability refers to the likelihood that a species or population will become extinct over a given time period. It is a critical concept in conservation biology, ecology, and population dynamics, as it helps researchers and conservationists understand the risks facing a species and the factors that contribute to its survival or decline.
Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) refers to a specific type of quantitative trait locus that is associated with the variation in gene expression levels. An eQTL is a region of the genome that explains a significant portion of the variation in the expression of one or multiple genes. This relationship is typically revealed through genetic mapping studies where researchers correlate specific genetic variants, often single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), with the expression levels of genes.
Cryptic relatedness refers to the situation in which individuals or organisms that appear to be distinct or unrelated (often due to differences in physical appearance or behavior) are, in fact, closely related at a genetic level. This phenomenon is often observed in the fields of evolutionary biology, conservation biology, and taxonomy.
Complex segregation analysis is a statistical method used in genetics to study the inheritance patterns of traits within families. It aims to determine whether the genetic architecture of a particular trait is consistent with it being influenced by one or more genes (Mendelian inheritance) or whether its transmission is more complex, involving multiple genetic factors, environmental influences, or gene-environment interactions.
The "common disease-common variant" (CDCV) hypothesis is a genetic concept that suggests that common diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain psychiatric disorders, are predominantly caused by common genetic variants in the population. According to this hypothesis, these diseases arise from the cumulative effects of many variants that are relatively frequent in the population, rather than from rare mutations or variants.
Coalescent theory is a model in population genetics that describes the genetic ancestry of alleles in a population over time. It provides a framework for understanding the genealogical relationships between individuals based on their genetic material and how these relationships have evolved in response to population processes such as reproduction, selection, mutation, migration, and genetic drift.

Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project

Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
We have two killer features:
  1. topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculus
    Articles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
    • a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
    • a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
    This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.
    Figure 1.
    Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page
    . View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivative
  2. local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:
    This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
    Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally.
    Video 3.
    Edit locally and publish demo
    . Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension.
  3. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook-media/master/feature/x/hilbert-space-arrow.png
  4. Infinitely deep tables of contents:
    Figure 6.
    Dynamic article tree with infinitely deep table of contents
    .
    Descendant pages can also show up as toplevel e.g.: ourbigbook.com/cirosantilli/chordate-subclade
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact