Fig. 2: Analytical model demonstrates good agreement with computational results.

a As a function of number of stickers per strand: Partition functions and partition function ratios are plotted with respect to n using the exact computational (solid) and simplified analytical (dotted) models. A single fitting parameter was used for the analytical models, fit to the monomer partition function (top row, blue). The slight discrepancy in the analytical prediction for large m and n disallowing neighbor bonds is primarily due to the heuristic approximation of g(n, m, N_b) from g(nm, 1, N_b) used. b As a function of binding strength: The ratio of the pentamer partition function to that of five monomers is plotted; similar results hold for any other multimer chosen. The analytical model predictions are separated into three regimes: strong (green), intermediate (yellow), and weak (red) binding. Vertical dashed lines separate where different regimes are expected to provide the best agreement and are calculated as the values of F_b such that \({N}_{{\rm {b}}}^{\star }={N}_{{\rm {b}}}^{\max }-1\) and \({N}_{{\rm {b}}}^{\star }={N}_{{\rm {b}}}^{\min }+3\). A single fitting parameter—the same one from panel (a)—is used.