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A rationalized set of default postulates that permit a coherent description of the immune system amenable to computer
1Conceptual Immunology Group, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA. cohn@salk.edu
Abstract:
This discussion delineates and rationalizes a set of postulates that permit a coherent understanding of immune function. Although analytical tools such as mathematics and computer modeling have become very popular, simulation and data mining in the absence of a conceptual framework cannot increase understanding. The goal of this essay is to provide the foundation for a discussion that has as its goal the formulation of an agreed upon set of default postulates. Such a set is required to guide the algorithms needed to analyze complex immune behavior.
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