Correlation testing provides a quick method of discriminating amongst
potential terms to include in a nuclear mass formula or functional and is a
necessary tool for further nuclear mass models; however a firm mathematical
foundation of the method has not been previously set forth. Here, the necessary
justification for correlation testing is developed and more detail of the
motivation behind its use is give. Examples are provided to clarify the method
analytically and for computational benchmarking. We provide a quantitative
demonstration of the method's performance and short-comings, highlighting also
potential issues a user may encounter. In concluding we suggest some possible
future developments to improve the limitations of the method.Comment: Accepted to EPJ-
