Quasi-Optimal Energy-Efficient Leader Election Algorithms in Radio Networks

International audienceRadio networks (RN) are distributed systems (\textit{ad hoc networks}) consisting in $n \ge 2$ radio stations. Assuming the number $n$ unknown, two distinct models of RN without collision detection (\textit{no-CD}) are addressed: the model with \textit{weak no-CD} RN and the one with \textit{strong no-CD} RN. We design and analyze two distributed leader election protocols, each one running in each of the above two (no-CD RN) models, respectively. Both randomized protocols are shown to elect a leader within \BO(\log{(n)}) expected time, with no station being awake for more than \BO(\log{\log{(n)}}) time slots (such algorithms are said to be \textit{energy-efficient}). Therefore, a new class of efficient algorithms is set up that matchthe $\Omega(\log{(n)})$ time lower-bound established by Kushilevitz and Mansour

Exploiting spontaneous transmissions for broadcasting and leader election in radio networks

We study two fundamental communication primitives: broadcasting and leader election in the classical model of multi-hop radio networks with unknown topology and without collision detection mechanisms. It has been known for almost 20 years that in undirected networks with n nodes and diameter D, randomized broadcasting requires Ω(D log n/D + log2 n) rounds, assuming that uninformed nodes are not allowed to communicate (until they are informed). Only very recently, Haeupler and Wajc (PODC'2016) showed that this bound can be improved for the model with spontaneous transmissions, providing an O(D log n log log n/log D + logO(1) n)-time broadcasting algorithm. In this article, we give a new and faster algorithm that completes broadcasting in O(D log n/log D + logO(1) n) time, succeeding with high probability. This yields the first optimal O(D)-time broadcasting algorithm whenever n is polynomial in D. Furthermore, our approach can be applied to design a new leader election algorithm that matches the performance of our broadcasting algorithm. Previously, all fast randomized leader election algorithms have used broadcasting as a subroutine and their complexity has been asymptotically strictly larger than the complexity of broadcasting. In particular, the fastest previously known randomized leader election algorithm of Ghaffari and Haeupler (SODA'2013) requires O(D log n/D min {log log n, log n/D} + logO(1) n)-time, succeeding with high probability. Our new algorithm again requires O(D log n/log D + logO(1) n) time, also succeeding with high probability

Deterministic Communication in Radio Networks

In this paper we improve the deterministic complexity of two fundamental communication primitives in the classical model of ad-hoc radio networks with unknown topology: broadcasting and wake-up. We consider an unknown radio network, in which all nodes have no prior knowledge about network topology, and know only the size of the network $n$, the maximum in-degree of any node $\Delta$, and the eccentricity of the network $D$. For such networks, we first give an algorithm for wake-up, based on the existence of small universal synchronizers. This algorithm runs in $O(\frac{\min\{n, D \Delta\} \log n \log \Delta}{\log\log \Delta})$ time, the fastest known in both directed and undirected networks, improving over the previous best $O(n \log^2n)$-time result across all ranges of parameters, but particularly when maximum in-degree is small. Next, we introduce a new combinatorial framework of block synchronizers and prove the existence of such objects of low size. Using this framework, we design a new deterministic algorithm for the fundamental problem of broadcasting, running in $O(n \log D \log\log\frac{D \Delta}{n})$ time. This is the fastest known algorithm for the problem in directed networks, improving upon the $O(n \log n \log \log n)$-time algorithm of De Marco (2010) and the $O(n \log^2 D)$-time algorithm due to Czumaj and Rytter (2003). It is also the first to come within a log-logarithmic factor of the $\Omega(n \log D)$ lower bound due to Clementi et al.\ (2003). Our results also have direct implications on the fastest \emph{deterministic leader election} and \emph{clock synchronization} algorithms in both directed and undirected radio networks, tasks which are commonly used as building blocks for more complex procedures

Quasi-Optimal Leader Election Algorithms in Radio Networks with Loglogarithmic Awake Time Slots

A radio network (RN) is a distributed system consisting of $n$ radio stations. We design and analyze two distributed leader election protocols in RN where the number $n$ of radio stations is unknown. The first algorithm runs under the assumption of {\it limited collision detection}, while the second assumes that {\it no collision detection} is available. By ``limited collision detection'', we mean that if exactly one station sends (broadcasts) a message, then all stations (including the transmitter) that are listening at this moment receive the sent message. By contrast, the second no-collision-detection algorithm assumes that a station cannot simultaneously send and listen signals. Moreover, both protocols allow the stations to keep asleep as long as possible, thus minimizing their awake time slots (such algorithms are called {\it energy-efficient}). Both randomized protocols in RN areshown to elect a leader in $O(\log{(n)})$ expected time, with no station being awake for more than $O(\log{\log{(n)}})$ time slots. Therefore, a new class of efficient algorithms is set up that match the $\Omega(\log{(n)})$ time lower-bound established by Kushilevitz and Mansour

Noisy Beeping Networks

We introduce noisy beeping networks, where nodes have limited communication capabilities, namely, they can only emit energy or sense the channel for energy. Furthermore, imperfections may cause devices to malfunction with some fixed probability when sensing the channel, which amounts to deducing a noisy received transmission. Such noisy networks have implications for ultra-lightweight sensor networks and biological systems. We show how to compute tasks in a noise-resilient manner over noisy beeping networks of arbitrary structure. In particular, we transform any algorithm that assumes a noiseless beeping network (of size $n$) into a noise-resilient version while incurring a multiplicative overhead of only $O(\log n)$ in its round complexity, with high probability. We show that our coding is optimal for some tasks, such as node-coloring of a clique. We further show how to simulate a large family of algorithms designed for distributed networks in the CONGEST($B$) model over a noisy beeping network. The simulation succeeds with high probability and incurs an asymptotic multiplicative overhead of $O(B\cdot \Delta \cdot \min(n,\Delta^2))$ in the round complexity, where $\Delta$ is the maximal degree of the network. The overhead is tight for certain graphs, e.g., a clique. Further, this simulation implies a constant overhead coding for constant-degree networks