Entropy-sampling Monte Carlo thermodynamics

A novel approach to protein conformation is the entropy-sampling Monte Carlo method (ESMC), which is described in detail in another contribution to this volume. The method provides a complete thermodynamic description of protein models, but it is computationally quite expensive. However, because of the underlying data-parallel structure of ESMC algorithms, computations could be done on massively parallel computers essentially without the communication overhead typical for the majority of other simulation techniques. This technique will undoubtedly be applied to numerous systems in the near future. 

What has been developed within the last 20 years is the computation of thermodynamic properties including free energy and entropy [12, 13, 14]. But the ground work for free energy perturbation was done by Valleau and Torrie in 1977 [15], for particle insertion by Widom in 1963 and 1982 [16, 17] and for umbrella sampling by Torrie and Valleau in 1974 and 1977 [18, 19]. These methods were primarily developed for use with Monte Carlo simulations continuous thermodynamic integration in MD was first described in 1986 [20]. 

In considering fluids, a variety of approaches have been used to compute entropy and free energy a free-volume method,111-112 thermodynamic perturbation theory,113-116 thermodynamic integration,117-121 umbrella sampling,122-124 and a Monte Carlo recursion method.125-126 The entropy of association of two protein molecules in water has also been computed.127... 

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