The Structure of the Test Function for Phenomenological Modelling of Eclipsing Binaries

The dependence of the test function on the phenomenological parameters used in the "NAV" ("New Algol Variable") algorithm (Andronov, 2012Ap.....55..536A) is studied. Due to a presence of local minima, the method of minimization contains two steps: the "brute force" minimization at a grid in the 4D parameter space, and further iterations using the differential corrections. This method represents an effective approximation of the light curve using the special pattern (shape) separately for the primary and secondary minima. The application of the method to concrete stars is briefly reviewed.