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The performance of neighbor-joining algorithms of phylogeny reconstruction

  • Session 4: Computational Biology I
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Computing and Combinatorics (COCOON 1997)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1276))

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Abstract

Biologists have hotly debated the merits of various algorithms for phylogenetic reconstruction for many years. In this paper, we analyze the performance of the popular neighbor-joining algorithm. In particular, we determine the L ∞ radius under which the method will determine the correct tree topology. In fact, this radius is optimal for all distance-based methods, the class of methods which includes all known tractable methods for which there is any sort of performance guarantee. We also gauge the performance of the algorithm when it is not possible to determine the correct tree topology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pennsylvania, USA

    Kevin Atteson

Authors
  1. Kevin Atteson
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Editor information

Tao Jiang D. T. Lee

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Atteson, K. (1997). The performance of neighbor-joining algorithms of phylogeny reconstruction. In: Jiang, T., Lee, D.T. (eds) Computing and Combinatorics. COCOON 1997. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1276. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0045077

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0045077

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-63357-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69522-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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