We consider the task of testing properties of Boolean functions that are invariant under linear transformations of the Boolean cube. Previous work in property testing, including the linearity test and the test for Reed-Muller codes, has mostly focused on such tasks for linear properties. The one exception is a test due to Green for “triangle freeness:” a function has this property if do not all equal , for any pair .

Here we extend this test to a more systematic study of testing for linear-invariant non-linear properties. We consider properties that are described by a single forbidden pattern (and its linear transformations), i.e., a property is given by points and has the property that if for all linear maps it is the case that do not all equal . We show that this property is testable if the underlying matroid specified by is a graphic matroid. This extends Green's result to an infinite class of new properties. Part of our main results was obtained independently by Král', Serra, and Venna [ Journal of Combinatorial Theory Series A , 116 (2009), pp 971--978].

Our techniques extend those of Green and in particular we establish a link between the notion of “ -complexity linear systems” of Green and Tao, and graphic matroids, to derive the results.