Identification Algorithm Framework and Structural model on Input Pattern of Metamorphic Relations

Metamorphic Relation (MR) plays a crucial role in Metamorphic Testing (MT), which can be regarded as the implication relation from the input pattern to the output pattern. Based on MR's properties, the identification of Metamorphic Relations (MRs) can be from its input pattern and output pattern, respectively. However, the finding of the effective input pattern is very first and important. Especially for complicated mathematical function includes more than two input variables, we systematically analyze the structural model of input pattern in MR, propose the concept of the class of basic input pattern, as well as prove that any one input pattern can be expressed as a combination of basic input patterns in scientific computing programs. Moreover, the structural model of input pattern in MR is established based on previous proof. Finally, we put forward an identification algorithm framework and analysis its complexity. The core contribution of our method is to decompose the input pattern identification problem in multi-dimensional space into a single one-dimensional. For this reason, the examples show that the complexity of the algorithm is reduced significantly.