A Systems Engineering Framework for High-Confidence Ancestral Inference in Genetic Genealogy

<p dir="ltr">To apply the rigorous discipline of Systems Engineering (SE) to a new domain, it is first necessary to define that domain as a formal system. Genetic inheritance, the process by which biological information is passed from one generation to the next, can be modeled as a complex, stochastic system governed by well-understood principles and quantifiable metrics. This section establishes a common vocabulary by mapping biological concepts to their engineering analogs, providing a foundation for the subsequent analysis. The SE approach is inherently holistic, recognizing that any system is an integrated whole composed of diverse, specialized structures and sub-functions, and that its value is created by the relationships among its parts.</p>