← All parts of this equation

Equation 12 · Part 3 · Structure from Sequence: What Protein Folding Prediction Did and Did Not Settle

Symbol e^-β F(x)

p(x)=e−βF(x)∫e−βF(x′) dx′,β=1kBT,p(x) = \frac{e^{-\beta F(x)}}{\displaystyle\int e^{-\beta F(x')}\,dx'}, \qquad \beta = \frac{1}{k_{\mathrm B}T},
e−βF(x)e^{-\beta F(x)}

What this part means

e−e^-β F(x) occurs above the fraction bar. The numerator is divided by the entire denominator below it.

Its job in the formula

e−e^-β F(x) occurs above the fraction bar. The numerator is divided by the entire denominator below it.

The passage around this formula

A protein in solution is not a coordinate file. It is a distribution. Under equilibrium conditions the physically meaningful object is a Boltzmann-weighted ensemble over conformations, p(x)=e−βF(x)∫e−βF(x′) dx′,β=1kBTp(x) = \frac{e^{-\beta F(x)}}{\displaystyle\int e^{-\beta F(x')}\,dx'}, \qquad \beta = \frac{1}{k_{\mathrm B}T}. and function frequently depends on the populations and interconversion rates of its modes rather than on the single most populated one. A predicted structure is a point estimate. It carries no populations, no relative free energies, and no exchange kinetics — none of which can be recovered from the file by inspection.

Read this part in the article →

Learn the underlying idea

An exponent tells how a base is used in multiplication. In x³, x is the base and 3 is the exponent: x³ = x × x × x.

Open the illustrated exponents: repeated multiplication and powers guide →

See this notation across published equations →

Sources cited in the article section

These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.