1,328 research outputs found
Asynchronous Gossip for Averaging and Spectral Ranking
We consider two variants of the classical gossip algorithm. The first variant
is a version of asynchronous stochastic approximation. We highlight a
fundamental difficulty associated with the classical asynchronous gossip
scheme, viz., that it may not converge to a desired average, and suggest an
alternative scheme based on reinforcement learning that has guaranteed
convergence to the desired average. We then discuss a potential application to
a wireless network setting with simultaneous link activation constraints. The
second variant is a gossip algorithm for distributed computation of the
Perron-Frobenius eigenvector of a nonnegative matrix. While the first variant
draws upon a reinforcement learning algorithm for an average cost controlled
Markov decision problem, the second variant draws upon a reinforcement learning
algorithm for risk-sensitive control. We then discuss potential applications of
the second variant to ranking schemes, reputation networks, and principal
component analysis.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Minor revisio
Distributed on-line multidimensional scaling for self-localization in wireless sensor networks
The present work considers the localization problem in wireless sensor
networks formed by fixed nodes. Each node seeks to estimate its own position
based on noisy measurements of the relative distance to other nodes. In a
centralized batch mode, positions can be retrieved (up to a rigid
transformation) by applying Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on a so-called
similarity matrix built from the relative distances. In this paper, we propose
a distributed on-line algorithm allowing each node to estimate its own position
based on limited exchange of information in the network. Our framework
encompasses the case of sporadic measurements and random link failures. We
prove the consistency of our algorithm in the case of fixed sensors. Finally,
we provide numerical and experimental results from both simulated and real
data. Simulations issued to real data are conducted on a wireless sensor
network testbed.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl
Engineering Resilient Collective Adaptive Systems by Self-Stabilisation
Collective adaptive systems are an emerging class of networked computational
systems, particularly suited in application domains such as smart cities,
complex sensor networks, and the Internet of Things. These systems tend to
feature large scale, heterogeneity of communication model (including
opportunistic peer-to-peer wireless interaction), and require inherent
self-adaptiveness properties to address unforeseen changes in operating
conditions. In this context, it is extremely difficult (if not seemingly
intractable) to engineer reusable pieces of distributed behaviour so as to make
them provably correct and smoothly composable.
Building on the field calculus, a computational model (and associated
toolchain) capturing the notion of aggregate network-level computation, we
address this problem with an engineering methodology coupling formal theory and
computer simulation. On the one hand, functional properties are addressed by
identifying the largest-to-date field calculus fragment generating
self-stabilising behaviour, guaranteed to eventually attain a correct and
stable final state despite any transient perturbation in state or topology, and
including highly reusable building blocks for information spreading,
aggregation, and time evolution. On the other hand, dynamical properties are
addressed by simulation, empirically evaluating the different performances that
can be obtained by switching between implementations of building blocks with
provably equivalent functional properties. Overall, our methodology sheds light
on how to identify core building blocks of collective behaviour, and how to
select implementations that improve system performance while leaving overall
system function and resiliency properties unchanged.Comment: To appear on ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulatio
Highly intensive data dissemination in complex networks
This paper presents a study on data dissemination in unstructured
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) network overlays. The absence of a structure in unstructured
overlays eases the network management, at the cost of non-optimal mechanisms to
spread messages in the network. Thus, dissemination schemes must be employed
that allow covering a large portion of the network with a high probability
(e.g.~gossip based approaches). We identify principal metrics, provide a
theoretical model and perform the assessment evaluation using a high
performance simulator that is based on a parallel and distributed architecture.
A main point of this study is that our simulation model considers
implementation technical details, such as the use of caching and Time To Live
(TTL) in message dissemination, that are usually neglected in simulations, due
to the additional overhead they cause. Outcomes confirm that these technical
details have an important influence on the performance of dissemination schemes
and that the studied schemes are quite effective to spread information in P2P
overlay networks, whatever their topology. Moreover, the practical usage of
such dissemination mechanisms requires a fine tuning of many parameters, the
choice between different network topologies and the assessment of behaviors
such as free riding. All this can be done only using efficient simulation tools
to support both the network design phase and, in some cases, at runtime
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