Question

Which of the following is untrue about the Optimality-Based Methods?

(a) The clustering-based methods produce multiple trees as output

(b) Optimality-based methods select a tree that best fits the actual evolutionary distance matrix

(c) There is no criterion in judging how this tree is compared to other alternative trees

(d) Optimality-based methods have a well-defined algorithm to compare all possible tree topologies

The question was posed to me in an interview.

I'd like to ask this question from Distance Based Methods in portion Phylogenetic Tree Construction Methods and Programs of Bioinformatics

Answer 1

Right answer is (a) The clustering-based methods produce multiple trees as output

The explanation: The clustering-based methods produce a single tree as output. Based on the differences in optimality criteria, there are two types of algorithms, Fitch–Margoliash and minimum evolution, that are described next. The exhaustive search for an optimal tree necessitates a slow computation, which is a clear drawback especially when the dataset is large.