title: A generalized information function applied to the genetic code.
abstract: The problem of the partitioning of the degeneracy of the codons in the genetic code is considered in the framework of a generalized information function IG = c sigma kpk(ln pk + G(Ek] where k represents the number of codons in a specific degeneracy class and G(Ek) is an arbitrary real valued function. For G(Ek) = 0 the Shannon information function is recovered. For a particular choice of G(Ek) that takes the dominance of even degeneracies into account, it is found by direct numerical calculations that the correct degeneracy partitioning appears as optimal values of the Ig function. This results is also supported by optimization calculations in which the generalized information function is regarded as a continuous function in the degeneracy variables.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Indiana State University, Terre Haute 47809.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alvager
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hilleke
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westgard
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000235:genetics; D005815:Genetic Code; D007257:Information Theory; D008957:Models, Genetic
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids