a backtracking search tool for constructing combinatorial test suites

Combinatorial testing is an important testing method. It requires the test cases to cover various combinations of parameters of the system under test. The test generation problem for combinatorial testing can be modeled as constructing a matrix which has certain properties. This paper first discusses two combinatorial testing criteria: covering array and orthogonal array, and then proposes a backtracking search algorithm to construct matrices satisfying them. Several search heuristics and symmetry breaking techniques are used to reduce the search time. This paper also introduces some techniques to generate large covering array instances from smaller ones. All the techniques have been implemented in a tool called EXACT (EXhaustive seArch of Combinatorial Test suites). A new optimal covering array is found by this tool.

Brazos River bar; a study in the significance of grain size parameters

A bar on the Brazos River near Calvert, Texas, has been analyzed in order to determine the geologic meaning of certain grain size parameters and to study the behavior of the size fractions with transport. The bar consists of a strongly bimodal mixture of pebble gravel and medium to fine sand; there is a lack of material in the range of 0.5 to 2 mm, because the source does not supply particles of this size. The size distributions of the two modes, which were established in the parent deposits, are nearly invariant over the bar because the present environment of deposition only affects the relative proportions of the two modes, not the grain size properties of the modes themselves. Two proportions are most common; the sediment either contains no gravel or else contains about 60% gravel. Three sediment types with characteristic bedding features occur on the bar in constant stratigraphic order, with the coarsest at the base. Statistical analysis of the data is based on a series of grain size parameters modified from those of Inman (1952) to provide a more detailed coverage of non-normal size curves. Unimodal sediments have nearly normal curves as defined by their skewness and kurtosis. Non-normal kurtosis and skewness values are held to be the identifying characteristics of bimodal sediments even where such modes are not evident in frequency curves. The relative proportions of each mode define a systematic series of changes in numerical properties; mean size, standard deviation and skewness are shown to be linked in a helical trend, which is believed to be applicable to many other sedimentary suites. The equations of the helix may be characteristic of certain environments. Kurtosis values show rhythmic pulsations along the helix and are diagnostic of two-generation sediments.

Mineral provinces and material provenance of the surficial sediments near the Zhongsha Islands in the South China Sea

Characteristics and distribution patterns of elastic minerals (0.063 similar to 0.125 mm) in bottom sediments represent a significant indicator for the identification of the origin of sediment. One hundred and fourteen surface sediment samples, which were collected from the area near the Zhongsha Islands in the South China Sea, were analysed to identify the mineral suites and their distributions in the study area. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces: ( I) a province of biogenic minerals, which mainly originate from the Zhongsha Atoll; ( H) a province of volcanogenic minerals, which are mainly derived from local basaltic seamounts and small-scale volcanoes that are probably erupting, with some influences from the island-are volcanic region around the South China Sea; and (II) a mixed mineral province whose material source includes biogenic minerals, volcanogenic minerals and terrigenous minerals; the last province can be subdivided into a mixed mineral sub-province of the northeastern part of the study area, in which terrigenous minerals are mainly derived from China's Mainland and do not exceed 17 degrees N, and a mixed mineral sub-province of the southeastern part of the study area, in which terrigenous minerals are derived from Kalimantan and Indochina Peninsula and might be further transported into the deep sea basin through submarine canyons.

五台山区义兴寨岩体、车厂－北台岩体地球化学和变质作用及其大地构造意义

There are many Archean TTG grey suites in the Wutaishan area, northern Shanxi Province, China. In the past one hundred years, many geologists have done excellent research work in the Wutaishan and its adjacent regions. However, the TTG suites were almost neglected. Located in the northern slope of Mt. Hengshan-namely the Archean Hengshan Island Arc, intruded the Zhujiafang supercrustal rocks at almost 2.5Ga, the Yixingzhai TTG Suite is originated from partial melting of the ancient lower crust upper mantle by REE and trace elements, and the emplacement occurred in an Archean island arc. The rocks are mainly of tonalitic, I type, and calc-alkaline trends are found in the magmatic evolution. At almost 1.8 Ga, the suite was transformed to be dome-like schists in an arc-arc collision event, and the rocks were metamorphosed to an extent of amphibolitic to granulitic facies. The peak metamorphic condition is of 710-760 ℃/0.68-0.72GPa, and the subsequent cooling history is recorded as 560-620 ℃/0.46-0.60GPa. In the center of the Mt. Wutaishan-known as the Archean Wutaishan Island Arc, intruded the Archean Chechang-Beitai TTG Suite, which is of 2.5Ga old and of trondhjemitic and tonalitic, with coexisting I- and S-types and a trondhjemitic magmatic evolution trend. Through REE and trace elements, the suite is believed to be from the partial melting of the ancient lower crust or upper mantle. The 1.8 Ga collision event also made the suite gneissic and the it was metamorphosed to be amphibolitic facies, whose peak condition is approximately of 680 (±50) ℃/0.7Gpa, and the subsequent cooling process is recorded as 680 (±50) ℃、550(±50) ℃、420(±10) ℃. Crustal growth is fulfilled through magmatic intrusion as well as eruption at about 2.5Ga, arc-arc collision at about 1.8 Ga in the Wutaishan area and its environs. Additionally, the biotite-muscovite and muscovite-plagioclase geothermometers are refined, and the biotite-hornblende geothermometer is developed in this dissertation.

胶东地区三类金矿成矿系统地质地球化学及动力学

The East Shandong gold province is located on the southeastern margin of the North China Craton and features uplift in the north and depression in the south. The uplift area is made up of the Archaean Jiaodong Group, the Proterozoic Jingshan Group and Yanshannian granites. Most gold deposits in the uplift area are spatially associated with the Yanshannian granites. Two types of gold mineralization occur in the region: the quartz-vein type hosted in the Linglong granite suite, and the shear zone type hosted by either the Linglong granite or Guojialing granitoid suites. The mineralization ages are 113～126 Ma. The southern part of East Shandong contains the Mesozoic Jiaolai basin, which formed during regional extension. The basin is bounded by the Wulian-Rongcheng fault in the southeast and the Tanlu fault in the west. The Pengjiakuang, Fayunkuang and Dazhuangzi gold deposit occurs on the northeastern margin of the basin. The mineralization ages of these deposits are 110～128 Ma. This paper focuses on a low-angle detachment fault developed between the Proterozoic Jingshan Group metamorphic complex and the northeastern margin of the basin. Our field work shows that the distribution of the Pengjiakuang gold deposit was controlled by the detachment fault. Moreover, the Fayunkuang, Guocheng and Liaoshang gold deposits also occurr in the periphery of the basin, and their features are similar to Pengjiakuang gold deposit. The study of geological geochemistry of the gold deposits has shown: ①three-type gold deposit was situated in the Jiaodong area, including altered rock type (Jiaojia type), quartz vein type (Linglong type) and breccia type (Pengjiakuang type); the ore-forming materials and fluid for Pengjiakuang type gold deposit shows multiple source; ②the ore materials of Jiaojia and Linglong type deposits are mainly from deep source. The author has studied geological-geochemical dynamics of three types deposits in Jiaodong area. The study of tectonic dynamics shows that ore-forming structure differential stress values of Pengjiakuang gold deposit is 100 * 10~6～130 * 10~6 Pa, and that of Jiaojia gold deposit is 100 * 10~5～194 * 10~6 Pa. Dynamics of hydrothermal ore-forming fluid has also been studied in this paper. Author applies Bernoulli equation to dynamic model of hydrothermal fluid motion in brittle fracture and cracks (quartz vein type gold mineralization), and applies Darcy law to dynamic model of hydro thermal fluid motion in porous medium (altered rock type gold mineralization). Author does daring try in order to study quantitativly transport mechanism of hydrothermal ore-forming fluid in this paper. The study of fluid inclusions and crystal dynamics shows that reaction system of hydrothermal ore-forming includes three types, as follows: ore-forming reaction, controlling reaction and buffer controlling reaction. They depend on each other, controlling each other, which form a organic system. Further research shown that formation of ore shoots was controlled by coincidence processes of tectonic dynamic condition and thermodynamic evolution. This paper has summaried reginoal metallogenic laws and seted up metallogenic(dynamics) models for Jiaodong gold ore belt.