Minimizing Characterizing sets

• Provides an algorithm that generates compact Characterizing sets from deterministic FSMs . Shows constructing minimum sized Characterising is PSPACE complete for with total number of inputs NP Complete Presents the results a set experiment and discussions in rigorous way. A characterizing (CS) finite state machine (FSM) M input sequences that, between them, separate (distinguish) all states CSs are used within several test generation techniques return suites guaranteed fault detection power. The CS directly affects cost applying resultant suite. In this paper, we study complexity decision problems associated deriving smallest FSM, showing checking existence K PSPACE-complete We also consider length CS, which sum lengths CS. It transpires problem deciding whether there at most NP-complete Motivated by these results, introduce heuristic to construct aim minimizing sequences. evaluated proposed assessing its effect when classical (the W-method). evaluation, both randomly generated benchmark FSMs. promising, reducing 37.3% decreasing 34.6% on average.