The Equation
where δ is the distance between N pairs of equivalent atoms (usually Cα and sometimes C,N,O,Cβ).
Normally a rigid superposition which minimizes the RMSD is performed, and this minimum is returned. Given two sets of points and, the RMSD is defined as follows:
An RMSD value is expressed in length units. The most commonly used unit in structural biology is the Ångström (Å) which is equal to 10–10m.
Read more about this topic: Root-mean-square Deviation (bioinformatics)
Famous quotes containing the word equation:
“A nation fights well in proportion to the amount of men and materials it has. And the other equation is that the individual soldier in that army is a more effective soldier the poorer his standard of living has been in the past.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)
“Jail sentences have many functions, but one is surely to send a message about what our society abhors and what it values. This week, the equation was twofold: female infidelity twice as bad as male abuse, the life of a woman half as valuable as that of a man. The killing of the woman taken in adultery has a long history and survives today in many cultures. One of those is our own.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)