This monograph is based primarily on material presented at the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences Summer Course on “Inferences from genetic data on pedigrees” given at Michigan Technical University in 1999. It is not a textbook: it contains no exercises and is insufficiently detailed for that purpose. It is possible to use it as a textbook, either in conjunction with another book, or by advanced students who will consult the cited literature for details. The Contents are the following:
1. Genes, pedigrees and genetic models; 2. Likelihood, estimation and testing; 3. Gene identity by descent; 4. Genetic linkage; 5. Models for meiosis; 6. Likelihoods on pedigrees; 7. Monte Carlo estimates on pedigrees; 8. Markov chain Monte Carlo on pedigrees; 9. Likelihood ratios for genetic analysis; 10. Case studies using the \(M\)- and \(LM\)-samplers; 11. Other Monte Carlo likelihoods in genetics.
The notes used at the above mentioned Summer Course have been augmented by material from two lecture classes given at the University of Washington. A number of 22 useful tables are given. The monograph can serve at least the following two purposes: a) an introductory course could cover the Chapters 1-4, with final material taken from Sections 6.1, 6.2, 7.1 and 7.2; b) more advanced students could work through the entire monograph.