Testing of automata: from experiments to representations by means of fragments

Abstract

This paper discusses some developments and results of the theory of test generation from automata. These developments are driven by the needs to better understand the nature of automata testing and thus to make the testing theory more applicable to real systems. We provide an overview of some important results in automata testing recently obtained in the Soviet Union and in the countries that have arisen from it. Keywords Automaton (finite state machine), testing problems, checking experiments and sequences, checking test, test complexity, experiments on automata, automata fragment 1 INTRODUCTION Automata or finite state machines have been widely used as mathematical models of discrete systems in diverse areas such as computer hardware and software and more recently, communication protocols [