TY - JOUR
T1 - Testing multiple linear regression systems with metamorphic testing
AU - Luu, Quang Hung
AU - Lau, Man F.
AU - Ng, Sebastian P.H.
AU - Chen, Tsong Yueh
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Dr D.Q. Tran (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Dr S.H. Dau (RMIT University) for useful discussion. We also would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editors for their constructive and helpful comments that help us improve the manuscript substantially.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Regression is one of the most commonly used statistical techniques. However, testing regression systems is a great challenge because of the absence of test oracle in general. In this paper, we show that Metamorphic Testing is an effective approach to test multiple linear regression systems. In doing so, we identify intrinsic mathematical properties of linear regression, and then propose 11 Metamorphic Relations to be used for testing. Their effectiveness is examined using mutation analysis with a range of different regression programs. We further look at how the testing could be adopted in a more effective way. Our work is applicable to examine the reliability of predictive systems based on regression that has been widely used in economics, engineering and science, as well as of the regression calculation manipulated by statistical users.
AB - Regression is one of the most commonly used statistical techniques. However, testing regression systems is a great challenge because of the absence of test oracle in general. In this paper, we show that Metamorphic Testing is an effective approach to test multiple linear regression systems. In doing so, we identify intrinsic mathematical properties of linear regression, and then propose 11 Metamorphic Relations to be used for testing. Their effectiveness is examined using mutation analysis with a range of different regression programs. We further look at how the testing could be adopted in a more effective way. Our work is applicable to examine the reliability of predictive systems based on regression that has been widely used in economics, engineering and science, as well as of the regression calculation manipulated by statistical users.
KW - Metamorphic relation
KW - Metamorphic testing
KW - Multiple linear regression
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114122029&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jss.2021.111062
DO - 10.1016/j.jss.2021.111062
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85114122029
VL - 182
JO - Journal of Systems and Software
JF - Journal of Systems and Software
SN - 0164-1212
M1 - 111062
ER -