Premium
A Unique Genetic Distance
Author(s) -
Gregorius H.R.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
biometrical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-4036
pISSN - 0323-3847
DOI - 10.1002/bimj.4710260103
Subject(s) - metric (unit) , mathematics , distance measures , measure (data warehouse) , frequency distribution , function (biology) , linearity , statistics , statistical physics , computer science , physics , data mining , artificial intelligence , operations management , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , biology , economics
The problem of measuring distances between discrete frequency distributions is considered. Three conditions are stated, which are believed to reflect basic, intuitive requirements to be met by a distance measure of the above kind with particular reference to genetic frequency distributions. These conditions chiefly concern aspects of maximum distance and linearity. It is shown that exactly one function meets the conditions, and this function, having all properties of a metric, is explicitly given.