Defining specificities, genes, antigens, and antibodies- A matrix approach

We study the consequences of assigning single letter symbols to operationally defined entities such as genes, antigens, specificities, and antibodies. If this is to be done and if reagents are not specific in recognizing the products of single genes or single antigens, then these entities must be defined by a 'definition matrix' to avoid mislabeling a matrix of data. A method is given whereby for a given matrix of data all possible definition matrices consistent with this data can be obtained. In particular, all the ways of labeling by the complex-complex code of Hirschfeld can be so obtained.