Author(s): Kenneth P. Hinckley and Matthew O. Ward, Computer Science Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609

Source: Proc. of Second IEEE Conference on Visualization (Visualization '91), 1991.

Abstract: Scientists (particularly biologists) currently lack effective tools for comparing multiple sequences of numbers or symbols. This paper describes a method of visual comparison which provides the scientist with a new and unique tool to study the qualitative relationships between three such sequences. The program displays a three-dimensional shape containing the sequence similarities and differences, which manifest themselves as simple geometric shapes and colors that a human observer can easily detect and classify. The method presents all possible correlations to the user, giving it a considerable advantage over existing sequence comparison tools which only search for a programmed subset of all possible correlations. Thus, using this technique, researchers may detect sequence similarities which available analytic methods might completely overlook. The program can also filter out undesirable or insignificant correlations, letting the user focus full attention on the more interesting sequence relationships. The technique enjoys facile adaptation to a wide range of applications, including DNA and protein sequence analysis, speech analysis, signal processing, text comparison, and image analysis.