Download the AASK Engine here
SMD (Shared Match Differentiation) is our newest patent-pending process, which provides genealogists — and DNA testing providers — with an efficient, computationally lightweight method for differentiating "Favorable" from "Unfavorable" Shared Match Trios!
Every DNA testing company gives you a list of your DNA matches, and will allow you to view the details of each match — including the DNA matches shared by you and your DNA match.
These "Shared Match Trios" can be genealogically useful because the individuals in the Trio are often descended from a common ancestor — and researching these shared ancestral lines can help build your family tree. (See the "Favourable" Trio on the right).
However, there's always a chance that the Shared Matches reported by your DNA testing service form an "Unfavourable" Trio — where shared ancestral lines connect pairs of elements within the Trio, without a single unifying Common Ancestor. Researching Unfavourable Trios can raise more questions than your family tree can answer and, at minimum, you'll want to know which type of Shared Match Trio you're researching!
Nevertheless, despite the potential upside of Favourable Shared Match Trios, DNA testing providers have no quick, reliable way of evaluating your Shared Match Trios or knowing which Shared Matches are Favourable or Unfavourable — that is, until SMD!
Our Bioinformatics page includes a video presentation that presents the development of the SMD process in the form of a case study.
So, How does this work?
- SMD evaluates three full sets of DNA matches*: • the Test-Taker's DNA matches
- • the DNA matches of a Match taken from the Test-Taker's roster of DNA matches • the DNA matches of a Shared Match common to the Test-Taker and the Match
SMD's algorithm reads through the sets of DNA matches in your Shared Match Trio and determines whether your Trio is FAVOURABLE, UNFAVOURABLE or a NON-TRIO.
SMD can be integrated into the backend reporting systems of any DNA testing provider, facilitating the real-time differentiation of a series of Shared Matches. SMD can also differentiate larger collections of DNA matches!
If your testing provider doesn't yet use SMD, download the SMD Utility to process the Shared Match Trios for the DNA test kits you administer.
Click here to download an SMD Quick-start Guide!
Can Discovering New Ancestors solve your genealogy mysteries? Read what our clients say — or download our Intake Form!