Covering Arrays: The Secret to Successful Software Testing | Fireside Chat

Topic Overview This session introduces covering arrays as a powerful and flexible tool for experimental design, particularly in the context of software testing. Building on the familiar concept of orthogonal arrays, the talk explains how covering arrays extend these ideas to handle more complex and practical testing scenarios. It provides an overview of key construction techniques and explores several important variants that enhance their applicability. Through real-world examples, the presentation demonstrates how covering arrays enable efficient test coverage, reduce the number of required test cases, and improve the reliability of software systems. Together, these methods highlight how modern design strategies can address the growing complexity of testing in today’s technological landscape. Thought Leader Dr. Caleb King is a Senior Research Statistician Developer in the DOE & Reliability group at JMP Statistical Discovery, LLC. He specializes in design of experiments, reliability analysis, accelerated testing, and sample size determination. Dr. King earned his MS and PhD in statistics from Virginia Tech and previously served as a Senior Statistician at Sandia National Laboratories, where he applied statistical methods to complex engineering and research problems.