Multifractal analysis of nonhyperbolic coupled map lattices: application to genomic sequences.

Symbolic sequences generated by coupled map lattices (CMLs) can be used to model the chaotic-like structure of genomic sequences. In this study it is shown that diffusively coupled Chebyshev maps of order 4 (corresponding to a shift of four symbols) very closely reproduce the multifractal spectrum D(q) of human genomic sequences for coupling constant α = 0.35 ± 0.01 if q > 0. The presence of rare configurations causes deviations for q < 0, which disappear if the rare event statistics of the CML is modified. Such rare configurations are known to play specific functional roles in genomic sequences serving as promoters or regulatory elements.