gps2gtfs
gps2gtfs spent a release making its docs stop describing functions it does not have.
Comparison · Analytics
dvir vs pedmut
A side-by-side editorial comparison of dvir and pedmut — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:forensic genetics
dvir vs pedmut: at a glance
What is dvir?
dvir keeps making disaster victim identification a single call instead of a workflow.
dvir handles disaster victim identification: matching unidentified remains against reference families using pedigree likelihoods. The package has consolidated around dviSolve(), a complete pipeline introduced in 3.2.1 and rewritten in 3.3.0 to use generalised likelihood ratios for families with several missing persons. Recent releases have been about making that pipeline survive large cases, adding dviGridSize() and a maxAssign cutoff to skip joint analysis when the combination count explodes, plus per-step timings.
What is pedmut?
pedmut turns awkward mutation models into ones the likelihood engine can actually handle.
pedmut builds and transforms the mutation models used in pedigree likelihood calculations. Its recent arc is a toolkit of model transformations: makeReversible() with three methods, makeStationary() replacing the older stabilize(), adjustRate() for tuning overall mutation rate, and lumpMutSpecial() for lumping models that strong lumpability cannot handle. The most recent release is narrow, adding a programmatic output format to getParams().
dvir vs pedmut: editorial side-by-side
dvir
0.0ANALYTICS
dvir keeps making disaster victim identification a single call instead of a workflow.
◆ Current state
dvir handles disaster victim identification: matching unidentified remains against reference families using pedigree likelihoods. The package has consolidated around dviSolve(), a complete pipeline introduced in 3.2.1 and rewritten in 3.3.0 to use generalised likelihood ratios for families with several missing persons. Recent releases have been about making that pipeline survive large cases, adding dviGridSize() and a maxAssign cutoff to skip joint analysis when the combination count explodes, plus per-step timings.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc is from a toolbox of functions toward one supervised pipeline, with the older jointDVI() now emitting a legacy message. The current constraint is combinatorial: joint analysis over many victims and missing persons blows up, so the work has gone to measuring the blowup and bailing out of it. Parallelism is mid-migration, with the parallel and pbapply implementation removed and a mirai replacement stated as planned but not yet shipped, leaving numCores accepted and ignored with a warning.
◆ Prediction
The mirai-based parallelisation is announced as coming, so expect it next, most likely applied to the joint analysis step that maxAssign currently exists to avoid.
pedmut
0.0ANALYTICS
pedmut turns awkward mutation models into ones the likelihood engine can actually handle.
◆ Current state
pedmut builds and transforms the mutation models used in pedigree likelihood calculations. Its recent arc is a toolkit of model transformations: makeReversible() with three methods, makeStationary() replacing the older stabilize(), adjustRate() for tuning overall mutation rate, and lumpMutSpecial() for lumping models that strong lumpability cannot handle. The most recent release is narrow, adding a programmatic output format to getParams().
◆ Where it's heading
The consistent goal is making models satisfy the mathematical properties downstream algorithms require. Reversibility, stationarity, and lumpability each unlock something in pedprobr, and the package keeps adding ways to coerce an arbitrary model into having them. lumpMutSpecial() is explicitly incomplete, described as covering only some cases with more possibly to follow, which sets up the main open thread.
◆ Prediction
Expect additional special lumping cases to be implemented, since the package documents the current coverage as partial and pedprobr's likelihood performance depends directly on it.
Alternatives to dvir and pedmut
Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either dvir or pedmut.
ducksemantics
ducksemantics puts an ontology graph and ColBERT retrieval inside DuckDB, callable from R.
pedbuildr
pedbuildr reconstructs pedigrees from DNA, and it just got much faster at the search.
forrel
forrel is getting faster at the simulations forensic kinship work actually spends its time on.
pedFamilias
pedFamilias exists to read one legacy file format, and it has that job nearly finished.
pedprobr
pedprobr is the likelihood engine, and it keeps finding ways to compute what it previously could not.
Recent activity from dvir and pedmut
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1mo agodvirCombination sizing and a cutoff for joint analysis
- 2mo agopedmutgetParams() gains a programmatic output format
- 3mo agodvirJoint tables added to solver output
- 3mo agodvirVictim and database accessors, plus solver refinements
- 1y agopedmutSpecial lumping arrives for un-lumpable models
- 1y agopedmutReversibility transformations and rate adjustment
- 1y agodvirSolver rewritten around generalised likelihood ratios
- 2y agopedmutMutation rate and boundedness diagnostics
- 2y agodvirdviSolve() pipeline and manual pairing controls
- 2y agodvirMaintainer handover and small reporting additions
- 3y agopedmutPM stabilisation and multi-lump strong lumpability
- 3y agopedmutlumpedModel() wrapper and lumping speedups
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dvir and pedmut?
Both compete on the same themes — forensic genetics — within Analytics. dvir and pedmut are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is dvir better than pedmut?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. dvir and pedmut are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to dvir?
Top dvir alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "dvir alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dvir for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to pedmut?
Top pedmut alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "pedmut alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/pedmut for the full list with editorial commentary on each.