Smith-Waterman algorithm

The Smith-Waterman algorithm is a method used in bioinformatics to find the most similar region between two sequences, such as DNA, RNA, or proteins. It compares segments of the sequences to identify where they match or differ, allowing for insertions, deletions, and substitutions. The algorithm builds a scoring matrix, step-by-step, to track similarities, and then traces back through this matrix to pinpoint the best alignment. This precise local comparison helps scientists understand functional or evolutionary relationships between biological sequences.