Multifractal characterization of complete genomes

This paper develops a theory for characterization of DNA sequences based on their measure representation. The measures are shown to be random cascades generated by an infinitely divisible distribution. This probability distri bution is uniquely determined by the exponent function in the multifractal theory of random cascades. Curve fitting to a large number of complete geno mes of bacteria indicates that the gamma density function provides an excel lent fit to the exponent function, and hence to the probability distributio n of the complete genomes.