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Coordination Problems in Ad Hoc Radio Networks

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Theoretical Aspects of Distributed Computing in Sensor Networks

Abstract

In this chapter we consider coordination problems in the model of wireless communication called ad hoc radio network. This model evolved from a multiple-access channel, which was introduced as a communication model for single-hop LANs, such as Ethernet. In radio networks, communication is assumed to be in (synchronous) slots, and an interference of two or more transmission signals received by a node results in a failure of delivering any of the colliding messages to this node. In ad hoc setting nodes are not aware, or have very limited knowledge, of the topology of the system, including the underlying network or distribution of active stations. Moreover, their local clocks may often show different readings. We consider several coordination problems in the context of ad hoc radio networks with no a priori given clock synchronization, such as waking up of sleeping nodes, unifying local clock settings, electing a leader, and mutual exclusion. We present the state of the art in these areas and suggest a few perspective research directions.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Here by “admissible row shift” we mean a specified class of row shifts; in this sense, the actual definition of a synchronizer depends on a class of row shifts that we allow in the definition; more details and a few examples of different classes of synchronizers can be found in Sect. 11.2.1.

  2. 2.

    Adversarial Queuing Theory (AQT) was introduced by Borodin et al. [10] in the context of store-and-forward networks.

  3. 3.

    In case of strong synchronization, e.g., for two-way synchronizers, σ may be subject to slightly different constraints.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/G023018/1].

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  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK

    Dariusz R. Kowalski

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  1. Dariusz R. Kowalski
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Correspondence to Dariusz R. Kowalski .

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  1. Computer Technology Institute, N. Kazantzaki Street 1, Rion, Patras, 265 04, Greece

    Sotiris Nikoletseas

  2. Centre Universitaire d'Informatique, Université de Genève, rte de Drize 7, Carouge, 1227, Switzerland

    José D.P. Rolim

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Kowalski, D.R. (2011). Coordination Problems in Ad Hoc Radio Networks. In: Nikoletseas, S., Rolim, J. (eds) Theoretical Aspects of Distributed Computing in Sensor Networks. Monographs in Theoretical Computer Science. An EATCS Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14849-1_11

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