Polynomial-Time Space-Optimal Silent Self-Stabilizing Minimum-Degree Spanning Tree Construction

Motivated by applications to sensor networks, as well as to many other areas, this paper studies the construction of minimum-degree spanning trees. We consider the classical node-register state model, with a weakly fair scheduler, and we present a space-optimal \emph{silent} self-stabilizing construction of minimum-degree spanning trees in this model. Computing a spanning tree with minimum degree is NP-hard. Therefore, we actually focus on constructing a spanning tree whose degree is within one from the optimal. Our algorithm uses registers on $O(\log n)$ bits, converges in a polynomial number of rounds, and performs polynomial-time computation at each node. Specifically, the algorithm constructs and stabilizes on a special class of spanning trees, with degree at most $OPT+1$. Indeed, we prove that, unless NP $=$ coNP, there are no proof-labeling schemes involving polynomial-time computation at each node for the whole family of spanning trees with degree at most $OPT+1$. Up to our knowledge, this is the first example of the design of a compact silent self-stabilizing algorithm constructing, and stabilizing on a subset of optimal solutions to a natural problem for which there are no time-efficient proof-labeling schemes. On our way to design our algorithm, we establish a set of independent results that may have interest on their own. In particular, we describe a new space-optimal silent self-stabilizing spanning tree construction, stabilizing on \emph{any} spanning tree, in $O(n)$ rounds, and using just \emph{one} additional bit compared to the size of the labels used to certify trees. We also design a silent loop-free self-stabilizing algorithm for transforming a tree into another tree. Last but not least, we provide a silent self-stabilizing algorithm for computing and certifying the labels of a NCA-labeling scheme

Compact Deterministic Self-Stabilizing Leader Election: The Exponential Advantage of Being Talkative

This paper focuses on compact deterministic self-stabilizing solutions for the leader election problem. When the protocol is required to be \emph{silent} (i.e., when communication content remains fixed from some point in time during any execution), there exists a lower bound of Omega(\log n) bits of memory per node participating to the leader election (where n denotes the number of nodes in the system). This lower bound holds even in rings. We present a new deterministic (non-silent) self-stabilizing protocol for n-node rings that uses only O(\log\log n) memory bits per node, and stabilizes in O(n\log^2 n) rounds. Our protocol has several attractive features that make it suitable for practical purposes. First, the communication model fits with the model used by existing compilers for real networks. Second, the size of the ring (or any upper bound on this size) needs not to be known by any node. Third, the node identifiers can be of various sizes. Finally, no synchrony assumption, besides a weakly fair scheduler, is assumed. Therefore, our result shows that, perhaps surprisingly, trading silence for exponential improvement in term of memory space does not come at a high cost regarding stabilization time or minimal assumptions

Memory lower bounds for deterministic self-stabilization

In the context of self-stabilization, a \emph{silent} algorithm guarantees that the register of every node does not change once the algorithm has stabilized. At the end of the 90's, Dolev et al. [Acta Inf. '99] showed that, for finding the centers of a graph, for electing a leader, or for constructing a spanning tree, every silent algorithm must use a memory of $\Omega(\log n)$ bits per register in $n$-node networks. Similarly, Korman et al. [Dist. Comp. '07] proved, using the notion of proof-labeling-scheme, that, for constructing a minimum-weight spanning trees (MST), every silent algorithm must use a memory of $\Omega(\log^2n)$ bits per register. It follows that requiring the algorithm to be silent has a cost in terms of memory space, while, in the context of self-stabilization, where every node constantly checks the states of its neighbors, the silence property can be of limited practical interest. In fact, it is known that relaxing this requirement results in algorithms with smaller space-complexity. In this paper, we are aiming at measuring how much gain in terms of memory can be expected by using arbitrary self-stabilizing algorithms, not necessarily silent. To our knowledge, the only known lower bound on the memory requirement for general algorithms, also established at the end of the 90's, is due to Beauquier et al.~[PODC '99] who proved that registers of constant size are not sufficient for leader election algorithms. We improve this result by establishing a tight lower bound of $\Theta(\log \Delta+\log \log n)$ bits per register for self-stabilizing algorithms solving $(\Delta+1)$-coloring or constructing a spanning tree in networks of maximum degree~$\Delta$. The lower bound $\Omega(\log \log n)$ bits per register also holds for leader election

A Very Fast (Linear Time) Distributed Algorithm, on General Graphs, for the Minimum-Weight Spanning Tree

International audienceThis paper develops linear time distributed algorithm, on general graphs, for the minimum spanning tree, in asynchronous communication network. We concentrated our efforts on the improvement of the execution time this is why our algorithm is faster than all previous linear algorithms. Our algorithm propose a solution for computing the MST in time $n/2$ with $O(n^2)$ messages (where $n=|V|$ for a graph $G=(V,E)$). The total number of messages in the worst case is slightly higher than the others algorithms, but in practice is often better

Universal Loop-Free Super-Stabilization

We propose an univesal scheme to design loop-free and super-stabilizing protocols for constructing spanning trees optimizing any tree metrics (not only those that are isomorphic to a shortest path tree). Our scheme combines a novel super-stabilizing loop-free BFS with an existing self-stabilizing spanning tree that optimizes a given metric. The composition result preserves the best properties of both worlds: super-stabilization, loop-freedom, and optimization of the original metric without any stabilization time penalty. As case study we apply our composition mechanism to two well known metric-dependent spanning trees: the maximum-flow tree and the minimum degree spanning tree

Brief Announcement: Distributed Exclusive and Perpetual Tree Searching

International audienceWe tackle a practical version of the well known {\it graph searching} problem, where a team of robots aims at capturing an intruder in a graph. The robots and the intruder move along the edges of the graph. The intruder is invisible, arbitrary fast, and omniscient. It is caught whenever it stands on a node occupied by a robot, and cannot escape to a neighboring node. We study graph searching in the CORDA model of mobile computing: robots are asynchronous, and they perform cycles of {\it Look-Compute-Move} actions. Moreover, motivated by physical constraints, we consider the \emph{exclusive} property, stating that no two or more robots can occupy the same node at the same time. In addition, we assume that the network and the robots are anonymous. Finally, robots are \emph{oblivious}, i.e., each robot performs its move actions based only on its current ''vision'' of the positions of the other robots. Our objective is to characterize, for a graph $G$, the set of integers $k$ such that graph searching can be achieved by a team of $k$ robots starting from \emph{any} $k$ distinct nodes in $G$. Our main result consists in a full characterization of this set, for any asymmetric tree. Towards providing a characterization for all trees, including trees with non-trivial automorphisms, we have also provides a set of positive and negative results, including a full characterization for any line. All our positive results are based on the design of algorithms enabling \emph{perpetual} graph searching to be achieved with the desired number of robots

Nettoyage perpétuel de réseaux

International audienceDans le cadre du nettoyage de graphes contaminés ( graph searching), des agents mobiles se déplacent successivement le long des arêtes du graphe afin de les nettoyer. Le but général est le nettoyage en utilisant le moins d'agents possible. Nous plaçons notre étude dans le modèle de calcul distribué CORDA minimaliste. Ce modèle est muni d'hypothèses très faibles : les nœuds du réseau et les agents sont anonymes, n'ont pas de mémoire du passé ni sens commun de l'orientation et agissent par cycles Voir-Calculer-Agir de manière asynchrone. Un intérêt de ce modèle vient du fait que si le nettoyage peut être fait à partir de positions arbitraires des agents (par exemple, après pannes ou recontamination), l'absence de mémoire implique un nettoyage perpétuel et donc fournit une première approche de nettoyage de graphe tolérant aux pannes. Les contraintes dues au modèle CORDA minimaliste nous amènent à définir une nouvelle variante de nettoyage de graphes - le nettoyage sans collision, autrement dit, plusieurs agents ne peuvent occuper simultanément un même sommet. Nous montrons que, dans un contexte centralisé, cette variante ne satisfait pas certaines propriétés classiques de nettoyage comme par exemple la monotonie. Nous montrons qu'interdire les ''collisions'' peut augmenter le nombre d'agents nécessaires d'un facteur au plus $\Delta$ le degré maximum du graphe et nous illustrons cette borne. De plus, nous caractérisons complètement le nettoyage sans collision dans les arbres. Dans le contexte distribué, la question qui se pose est la suivante. Existe-t-il un algorithme qui, étant donné un ensemble d'agents mobiles arbitrairement répartis sur des sommets distincts d'un réseau, permet aux agents de nettoyer perpétuellement le graphe ? Dans le cas des chemins, nous montrons que la réponse est négative si le nombre d'agents est pair dans un chemin d'ordre impair, ou si il y a au plus deux agents dans un chemin d'ordre au moins $3$. Nous proposons un algorithme qui nettoie les chemins dans tous les cas restants, ainsi qu'un algorithme pour nettoyer les arbres lorsqu'un nombre suffisant d'agents est disponible initialement