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A two-stage algorithm for combinatorial testing

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Abstract

Covering arrays are combinatorial structures which have applications in fields like software testing and hardware Trojan detection. In this paper we proposed a two-stage simulated annealing algorithm to construct covering arrays. The proposed algorithm is instanced in this paper through the construction of ternary covering arrays of strength three. We were able to get 579 new upper bounds. In order to show the generality of our proposal, we defined a new benchmark composed of 25 instances of MCAs taken from the literature, all instances were improved.

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  1. For a complete specification of these parameters, see: http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/res/Configuration.html.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge to ABACUS-CINVESTAV, CONACYT grant EDOMEX-2011-COI-165873 for providing access of high performance computing. The authors acknowledge General Coordination of Information and Communications Technologies (CGSTIC) at CINVESTAV for providing HPC resources on the Hybrid Cluster Supercomputer “Xiuhcoatl”, that have contributed to the research results reported. The following projects have funded the research reported in this paper: 148784—FOMIX—Unidad de Transferencia Tecnologica CICESE—Nayarit; 238469—CONACyT Métodos Exactos para Construir Covering Arrays Óptimos; 2143—Cátedras CONACyT—Fortalecimiento de las capacidades de TICs en Nayarit.

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Correspondence to Jose Torres-Jimenez.

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Torres-Jimenez, J., Avila-George, H. & Izquierdo-Marquez, I. A two-stage algorithm for combinatorial testing. Optim Lett 11, 457–469 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11590-016-1012-x

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