Research on Wireless Multi-hop Networks: Current State and Challenges

Wireless multi-hop networks, in various forms and under various names, are being increasingly used in military and civilian applications. Studying connectivity and capacity of these networks is an important problem. The scaling behavior of connectivity and capacity when the network becomes sufficiently large is of particular interest. In this position paper, we briefly overview recent development and discuss research challenges and opportunities in the area, with a focus on the network connectivity.Comment: invited position paper to International Conference on Computing, Networking and Communications, Hawaii, USA, 201

k-connectivity of Random Graphs and Random Geometric Graphs in Node Fault Model

k-connectivity of random graphs is a fundamental property indicating reliability of multi-hop wireless sensor networks (WSN). WSNs comprising of sensor nodes with limited power resources are modeled by random graphs with unreliable nodes, which is known as the node fault model. In this paper, we investigate k-connectivity of random graphs in the node fault model by evaluating the network breakdown probability, i.e., the disconnectivity probability of random graphs after stochastic node removals. Using the notion of a strongly typical set, we obtain universal asymptotic upper and lower bounds of the network breakdown probability. The bounds are applicable both to random graphs and to random geometric graphs. We then consider three representative random graph ensembles: the Erdos-Renyi random graph as the simplest case, the random intersection graph for WSNs with random key predistribution schemes, and the random geometric graph as a model of WSNs generated by random sensor node deployment. The bounds unveil the existence of the phase transition of the network breakdown probability for those ensembles.Comment: 6 page

Two-Hop Connectivity to the Roadside in a VANET Under the Random Connection Model

We compute the expected number of cars that have at least one two-hop path to a fixed roadside unit in a one-dimensional vehicular ad hoc network in which other cars can be used as relays to reach a roadside unit when they do not have a reliable direct link. The pairwise channels between cars experience Rayleigh fading in the random connection model, and so exist, with probability function of the mutual distance between the cars, or between the cars and the roadside unit. We derive exact equivalents for this expected number of cars when the car density $\rho$ tends to zero and to infinity, and determine its behaviour using an infinite oscillating power series in $\rho$, which is accurate for all regimes. We also corroborate those findings to a realistic situation, using snapshots of actual traffic data. Finally, a normal approximation is discussed for the probability mass function of the number of cars with a two-hop connection to the origin. The probability mass function appears to be well fitted by a Gaussian approximation with mean equal to the expected number of cars with two hops to the origin.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure