Output details

Efficient Software Verification : Statistical Testing Using Automated Search

<09>First demonstration of how optimal or near optimal test input probability distributions can be found automatically via heuristic search. Hypothesis driven research investigated via appropriate empirical method. Thévenod-Fosse and Waeselynck's work on "statistical testing" provided the coverage target but approach generalises. This paper has opened up a seam of on-going work concerning synthesis of conditional probability distributions for input generation strategies, leading to an MOD Centre for Defence Enterprise award of £55K in 2012 and a GECCO 2013 Search Based Software Engineering Best Paper Prize (from 33 entries). There is now also an ongoing collaboration with Waeselynck.