Paternity testing: I. Calculation of paternity indexes

Area of Science:

• Forensic genetics
• Biostatistics
• Computational biology

Background:

• Paternity testing relies on genetic markers.
• Accurate calculation of paternity indexes is crucial for legal and clinical settings.
• Existing methods may require complex computations or specialized hardware.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a computationally efficient algorithm for paternity index calculation.
• To derive a closed-form expression for paternity index applicable to any blood group system.
• To apply the developed methodology for gene frequency estimation.

Main Methods:

• Algorithm development for microcomputers.
• Derivation of a closed-form expression for the paternity index.
• Application of the paternity index formula to estimate gene frequencies from sample data.

Main Results:

• A readily adaptable algorithm for computing paternity indexes on microcomputers.
• A novel closed-form expression for the paternity index based on gene frequencies and phenotype structures.
• Successful application of the method for estimating gene frequencies from sample data.

Conclusions:

• The developed algorithm provides an accessible and efficient tool for paternity index computation.
• The derived closed-form expression simplifies paternity index calculations across various blood group systems.
• This work contributes to improved gene frequency estimation techniques in population genetics and forensics.