subsekvenses

A subsekvens is a sequence that can be derived from another sequence by deleting zero or more elements without changing the order of the remaining elements. For example, if we have the sequence ABCDE, then ACE is a subsekvens. The empty sequence is a subsekvens of any sequence. Every sequence is a subsekvens of itself.

The concept of subsekvens is fundamental in computer science and mathematics, particularly in areas like string processing, bioinformatics, and algorithms. In bioinformatics, subsekvenses are used to analyze DNA, RNA, and protein sequences. For instance, finding the longest common subsekvens between two DNA sequences can help determine their evolutionary relationship.

Algorithms for finding subsekvenses include dynamic programming approaches like the one used to compute the length of the longest common subsekvens (LCS). The LCS problem aims to find the longest sequence that is a subsekvens of two or more given sequences.

The term "subsekvens" is distinct from "substring" or "sublist." A substring must be a contiguous part of the original sequence, meaning the elements must be adjacent. A subsekvens, however, can have elements that are not adjacent in the original sequence, as long as their relative order is preserved. For instance, in ABCDE, ABC is a substring, while ACE is a subsekvens but not a substring.