Recent (and Selected Earlier) Publications, by Field

William H. Press

(See also full publications list and unpublished notes and recreational papers.)

Computational and Theoretical Biology and Biomedicine

• W.H. Press, "Population Models with Phenotypic Diversity and Fluctuating Environment Illustrate Parameter Regimes of Adaptation vs. Extinction," bioRxiv, doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.01.631012. Preprint..

• W.H. Press, "Fast trimer statistics facilitate accurate decoding of large random DNA barcode sets even at large sequencing error rates," PNAS Nexus, 1 (5), pgac252 (November, 2022). As published.

• W.H. Press and R.C. Levin, "Editorial: Modeling, post COVID-19," Science, 370 (6520), 1015 (November 27, 2020). As published.

• C. Cassel, S.L. Graham, and W.H. Press, "Comment: It shouldn't be so hard to get the data needed to protect public health," Modern Healthcare, August 31, 2020, p. 23. As published.

• S.K. Jones, J.A. Hawkins, N.V. Johnson, C. Jung, K. Hu, J.R. Rybarski, J.S. Chen, J.A. Doudna, W.H. Press, and I.J. Finkelstein, "Massively parallel kinetic profiling of natural and engineered CRISPR nucleases," Nature Biotechnology (2020). As published.

• W.H. Press and J.A. Hawkins, "Likelihood Models for Forensic Genealogy," arXiv:2010.02985 [q-bio.GN], October 8 (2020).

• W.H. Press, J.A. Hawkins, S.K. Jones, J.M. Schaub, and I.J. Finkelstein, "HEDGES Error-Correcting Code for DNA Storage Corrects Indels and Allows Sequence Constraints," PNAS, 117 (31) 18489-18496, August 4 (2020). As published.

• J.A. Hawkins, M.E. Kaczmarek, M.A. Muller, C. Drosten, W.H. Press, and S.L. Sawyer, "A metaanalysis of bat phylogenetics and positive selection based on genomes and transcriptomes from 18 species," PNAS, 116 (23), 11351-11360, June 4 (2019). As published.

• W.H. Press and J.A. Hawkins, “An Indel-Resistant Error-Correcting Code for DNA-Based Information Storage,” arXiv:1812.01112 [q-bio.QM], December 3 (2018).

• J.A. Hawkins, S.K. Jones, I.J. Finkelstein, W.H. Press. “Indel-correcting DNA barcodes for high-throughput sequencing”, PNAS, 115 (27), pp. E6217-E6226 (2018).

• C. Jung, J.A. Hawkins, S.K. Jones, Y. Xiao, J.R. Rybarski, K.E. Dillard, J. Hussmann, F.A. Saifuddin, C. Savran, A.D. Ellington, A. Ke, W.H. Press, and I.J. Finkelstein, "Massively Parallel Biophysical Analysis of CRISPR-Cas Complexes on Next Generation Sequencing Chips", Cell, 170 (1), pp. 35-47, June 29 (2017).

• A.C. Stabell, J. Hawkins, M. Li, X. Gao, M. David, W.H. Press, and S.L. Sawyer, "Non-human primate Schlafen11 inhibits production of both host and viral proteins," PLOS Pathogens, 12 (12): e1006066, December 27 (2016).

• J.A. Hussmann, S. Patchett, A. Johnson, S. Sawyer, W.H. Press. "Understanding biases in ribosome profiling experiments reveals signatures of translation dynamics in yeast", PLoS Genet 11 (12), e1005732 (2015).

• J.A. Hussmann and W.H. Press, "Local Correlations in Codon Preferences Do Not Support a Model of tRNA Recycling," Cell Reports, 8, 1624-1629, September 25 (2014). As published.

• J.A. Hussmann, D.I. Lou, S.L. Sawyer, and W.H. Press, "Reply to Schmitt et al.: Data-filtering schemes for avoiding double-counting in circle sequencing," PNAS, 111 (16), E1561 (2014). As published.

• D.I. Lou, J.A. Hussmann, R.M. McBee, A. Acevedo, R. Andino, W.H. Press, and S.L. Sawyer, "High-throughput DNA sequencing errors are reduced by orders of magnitude using circle sequencing," PNAS, 110 (49), 19872-19877 (2013).  As published.

• W.H. Press and F.J. Dyson, ``Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma contains strategies that dominate any evolutionary opponent," PNAS, 109, 10409-10413 (2012). As published. Also, commentary by A.J. Stewart and J.B. Plotkin; and discussion at Edge.org.

• W.H. Press, ``Bandit solutions provide unified ethical models for randomized clinical trials and comparative effectiveness research," PNAS, 106, 22387-22392 (2009).   As published.   Supporting information.   Also, commentary by C.K. Cassel.

• W.H. Press and H. Robins, ``Isochores Exhibit Evidence of Genes Interacting with the Large-scale Genomic Environment", Genetics, 174, 1029-1040 (2006). Preprint, or as published.

• H. Robins and W.H. Press, ``Human microRNAs target a functionally distinct population of genes with AT-rich 3' UTRs,'' PNAS, 102, 15557-15562 (2005). Preprint (with supporting information), or as published. (Also, Gene Ontology word statistics program.)

Science and Society

• A.K. Finkbeiner and W.H. Press, "Lewis McAdory Branscomb (1926-2023)," Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). As published.

• W. Blau, V.G. Cerf, J. Enriquez, et al. "Protecting scientific integrity in an age of generative AI," PNAS, 121 (22), e2407886121, May 21 (2024). As published.

• C.F. Chyba, C.K. Cassel, S.L. Graham, J.P. Holdren, E. Penhoet, W.H. Press, M. Savitz, H. Varmus. "Create a COVID-19 Commission," Science, 374 (6570), 932- 935 (November 19, 2021). As published.

• W.H. Press and A.K. Finkbeiner. "Freeman J. Dyson, 1923-2020," 19 pp., Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). As published.

• D.N. Spergel and W.H. Press. "Innovation Is Not a Linear Race, It's a Dance Between Discovery and Use." Issues in Science and Technology (August 17, 2021). As published.

• D. Baltimore, R. Conn, W.H. Press, T. Rosenbaum, D.N. Spergel, S.M. Tilghman, H. Varmus, "Should the Endless Frontier of Federal Science be Expanded?", AAAS Policy Alert Newsletter (March, 2021). As published.

• W.H. Press, "At Lunch with Freeman Dyson," Inference: International Review of Science, 6 (1), May 2021. As published.

• W.H. Press, "Obituary: Freeman J. Dyson," Physics Today, 73, 7, 60, July 1 (2020). As published.

• W.H. Press and H.R. Rawlings III, "Why Science? An Unemotional Argument for Federal Investment in Research," Huffington Post, 20 June 2014. Link.

• W.H. Press, "What's So Special About Science (And How Much Should We Spend on It?)," Science, 342 (6160), 817-822 (2013). As published.

• W.H. Press, "Retrospective: Harold Agnew, physicist, atomic bomb Everyman," PNAS, 110 (48), 19179-19180 (2013)  As published.

• W.H. Press, "Editorial: Investing in Distant Rewards," Science, 339, 627 (2013).   As published.

• W.H. Press, "To catch a terrorist: can ethnic profiling work?," Significance, 7 (4), 164-167 (2010).   As published.

• W.H. Press, "Strong profiling is not mathematically optimal for discovering rare malfeasors," PNAS, 106, 1716-1719 (2009).   As published.

Computational and Statistical Methods (including Numerical Recipes)

• W.H. Press, "Correlated Confounding Variables Are Not Easily Controlled for in Large Survey Research," ArXiV 2512.01003 [stat.ME] (November 30, 2025). Preprint.

• W.H. Press, "LLM Architecture, Scaling Laws, and Economics: A Quick Summary," ArXiV 2511.11572 [CS.gl] (September 11, 2025). Preprint.

• W.H. Press, "'Minus-One' Data Prediction Generates Synthetic Census Data with Good Crosstabulation Fidelity," ArXiV 2406.05264 [stat.AP] (June 7, 2024). Preprint.

• W.H. Press, "Bell, Bohm, and qubit: EPR remixed," American Journal of Physics 88, 558 (2020). As published.

• W.H. Press, S.A. Teukolsky, W.T. Vetterling, and B.P. Flannery, Numerical Recipes: The Art of Scientific Computing, Third Edition, 1235 pp. + xxi (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007). Also, electronic edition.

• W.H. Press, "Discrete Radon transform has an exact, fast inverse and generalizes to operations other than sums along lines," PNAS, 103, 19249-19254 (2006).   Preprint, or as published.

• W.H. Press, S.A. Teukolsky, W.T. Vetterling, B.P. Flannery, Numerical Recipes in Fortran 90: The Art of Parallel Scientific Computing, Volume 2 of Fortran Numerical Recipes, Second Edition (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996). On-line edition.

• W.H. Press, S.A. Teukolsky, W.T. Vetterling, B.P. Flannery, Numerical Recipes in C: The Art of Scientific Computing, Second Edition (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992). On-line edition.

• W.H. Press, ``Understanding Data Better with Bayesian and Global Statistical Methods,'' in Unsolved Problems in Astrophysics, J.N. Bahcall and J.P. Ostriker, eds. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997). Preprint.

• G.B. Rybicki and W.H. Press, ``A Class of Fast Methods for Processing Irregularly Sampled or Otherwise Inhomogeneous One-Dimensional Data,'' Phys. Rev. Lett., 74, 1060 (1995). Preprint, or as published.

• G.B. Rybicki and W.H. Press, ``Interpolation, Realization, and Reconstruction of Noisy, Irregularly Sampled Data,'' Astrophys. J., 398, 169 (1992). As published.

• W.H. Press and G.B. Rybicki, ``Fast Algorithm for Spectral Analysis of Unevenly Sampled Data," Astrophys. J., 338, 277 (1989). As published.

 

Quantitative Finance

• W.H. Press, "NYSE Price Correlations Are Arbitrageable Over Hours and Predictable Over Years," arXiv (q-fin), 2305.08241 (May 14, 2023)

• W.H. Press, "Optimal Cross-Correlation Estimates from Asynchronous Tick-by-Tick Trading Data," arXiv (q-fin), 2303.16153 (March 18, 2023)

 

Astronomy and Astrophysics

• A.G. Riess, W.H. Press, and R.P. Kirshner, ``A Precise Distance Indicator: Type Ia Supernova Multicolor Light Curve Shapes,'' Astrophys. J., 473, 88 (1996). Preprint, or as published.

• A.G. Riess, W.H. Press, and R.P. Kirshner, ``Using SN Ia Light Curve Shapes to Measure The Hubble Constant,'' Astrophys. J. (Lett.), 438, L17 (1995). Preprint, or as published.

• S.M. Carroll, W.H. Press, and E.L. Turner, ``The Cosmological Constant,'' Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys., 30, 499 (1992). As published.

• W.H. Press, B.S. Ryden, and D.N. Spergel, ``Dynamical Evolution of Domain Walls in an Expanding Universe," Astrophys. J., 347, 590 (1989). As published.

• D.N. Spergel, W.H. Press and R.J. Scherrer, ``Self-Excited Cosmic String Dynamos," Nature, 334, 682 (1989). As published.

• J.N. Bahcall, T. Piran, W.H. Press, and D.N. Spergel, ``Neutrino Temperatures and Fluxes from the LMC Supernova," Nature, 327, 682 (1987). As published.

• W.H. Press and D.N. Spergel, ``Capture by the Sun of a Galactic Population of Weakly Interacting, Massive Particles," Astrophys. J., 296, 679 (1985). As published.

• W.H. Press and S.A. Teukolsky, ``On Formation of Close Binaries by 2-Body Tidal Capture," Astrophys. J., 213, 183 (1977). As published.

• W.H. Press and P.L Schechter, ``Formation of Galaxies and Clusters of Galaxies by Self-Similar Gravitational Condensation," Astrophys. J,, 187, 425 (1974). As published.

• W.H. Press and S.A. Teukolsky, ``Perturbations of a Rotating Black Hole. 2. Dynamical Stability of the Kerr Metric," Astrophys. J., 185, 649 (1973). As published.

• W.H. Press and J.E. Gunn, ``Method for Detecting a Cosmological Density of Condensed Objects," Astrophys. J., 185, 397 (1973). As published.

• J.M. Bardeen, S.A. Teukolsky, and W.H. Press, ``Rotating Black Holes: Locally Nonrotating Frames, Energy Extraction, and Scalar Synchrotron Radiation," Astrophys. J., 178, 347 (1972). As published.

Miscellaneous Oldies But Goodies

• W.H. Press and S.A. Teukolsky, ``Numerical Recipes: Does This Paradigm Have a Future?,'' Computers in Physics, 11, 416 (1997). Preprint.

• W.H. Press, ``Man's Size in Terms of Fundamental Constants," Am. J. Phys., 48, 597 (1980). As published.

• W.H. Press, ``Flicker Noises in Astronomy and Elsewhere," Comments on Astrophysics, 7, 103 (1978). As published.

• W.H. Press, ``Mathematical Theory of the Waterbed," Am. J. Phys., 46, 966 (1978). As published.

• W.H. Press, ``Theoretical Maximum for Energy from Direct and Diffuse Sunlight," Nature, 264, 734 (1976). As published.

• A.P. Lightman, W.H. Press, R.H. Price, and S.A. Teukolsky, Problem Book in Relativity and Gravitation with Complete Solutions, 599pp. + xiv (Princeton University Press, 1975). On-line version.

• W.H. Press (plus 10 co-authors), ``Prospectus for Computational Physics: Report by the Subcommittee on Computational Facilities for Theoretical Research,'' (National Science Foundation, 1981). [Of historical interest only, this was the first of several committee reports that led directly to the establishment of NSF centers for computational science.] Scanned copy.

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