Question

Which of the following is a heuristic algorithm that works faster than those driven by dynamic programming?

• A. Needleman-Wunsch
• B. Smith-Waterman
• C. BLAST
• D. Gradient Descent

Hint:

BLAST is an efficient heuristic algorithm used in bioinformatics for sequence alignment. It is faster than traditional dynamic programming methods like Needleman-Wunsch and Smith-Waterman, making it a popular choice for large-scale sequence comparison tasks.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding Heuristic Algorithms.
Heuristic algorithms are typically faster because they aim to find good-enough solutions in a more time-efficient manner, rather than solving the problem optimally. This makes them ideal for large data sets or real-time applications.
Step 2: Dynamic Programming vs. Heuristic Algorithms.
Dynamic programming (DP) is a method used for solving problems by breaking them down into simpler subproblems and solving each subproblem only once. It guarantees optimal solutions but can be computationally expensive, especially for large datasets. Heuristic algorithms, on the other hand, focus on finding good solutions more quickly, often at the cost of optimality.
Step 3: BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool).
BLAST is a heuristic algorithm used for comparing biological sequences, such as DNA or protein sequences. It is faster than traditional dynamic programming algorithms like Needleman-Wunsch and Smith-Waterman, which are used for global and local sequence alignment, respectively. BLAST trades some accuracy for speed, making it suitable for large-scale sequence comparison tasks.
Step 4: Other Options.
Needleman-Wunsch is a dynamic programming algorithm used for global sequence alignment.
Smith-Waterman is also a dynamic programming algorithm used for local sequence alignment.
Gradient Descent is a heuristic optimization algorithm, but it is not specifically used for sequence alignment.
Step 5: Conclusion.
BLAST is the correct answer because it is a heuristic algorithm that is specifically designed to work faster than dynamic programming algorithms for sequence alignment.