PREDICTING PROGRESS IN DIRECTED MAPPING PROJECTS

Several recent mapping efforts have used so-called ''directed'' approa ches to construct their maps. However, most, but not all, published me thods for modeling the progress in physical mapping projects have been focused on random approaches, such as bottom-up fingerprinting and ST S-content mapping. In addition, those few efforts that did model direc ted approaches used methods that required assuming that all insert len gths were the same. This assumption is unnecessary. Using properties o f stationary processes, one can derive simple asymptotic formulas that apply equally to constant and variable clone lengths. Also, in the ca se of constant clone lengths, these results are equivalent to, and ext end, those published results for directed mapping derived by other met hods. Simulations show that these methods provide estimates well withi n the limits of uncertainty inherent in any mapping project. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.