Extend sensitivity–activity analysis to p-symmetric Boolean functions and investigate biological origins of symmetry

Extend the sensitivity versus activity-bias analysis developed for 1- and 2-symmetric Boolean functions to p-symmetric Boolean functions with p > 2, and investigate biological mechanisms that give rise to generalized symmetry in gene regulatory functions.

Background

The paper computes exact sensitivity–activity relations for 1- and 2-symmetric Boolean functions and argues that 2-symmetric functions better capture certain features of empirical gene-regulatory data than generic canalizing functions. The authors propose extending this analytical framework to the broader class of p-symmetric functions (p > 2) and to probe why generalized symmetry is prevalent in biological regulation.