This dissertation proposes a novel method to perform a quantitative analysis of message complexity and applies this method in comparing the message complexity among the mobile ad hoc network (MANET) address autoconfiguration protocols. The original publications on the address autoconfiguration protocols had many incomplete parts making them insufficient to use on practical MANETs. Therefore, the first objective of the executed research was to complete the address autoconfiguration protocols by filling in all the missing gaps to make them operational. The missing procedures that were filled in have been developed based on the most logical procedures being faithful to the original protocol publications. In this dissertation, to obtain the upper bound of the message complexity of the protocols, the O-notation of a MANET group of N nodes has been applied. To asymptotically calculate the total number of messages generated by a protocol's step or procedure, an investigation on the nodes broadcasting, unicasting, relaying, and receiving messages is conducted and used in obtaining the upper bound of the message complexity for each protocol.School of Electrical & Computer Engineerin
