Estimation of path duration in mobile ad-hoc networks: A theoretical study

Abstract

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are widely deployed for different purposes. Some of these areas are for the military, emergency rescue operations, etc. These networks are established "on the fly" and, therefore, play a decisive role in such applications. From a network point of view, MANETs are self configuring and dynamically changing networks. Since the topology changes dynamically, each node in the network must keep track of other nodes' movements and maintain connectivity. The most popular MANET routing protocols use response time or number of hops to decide the feasible routes. Estimation of path duration can enhance the efficiency of routing protocols in MANETs. One such area in reactive routing can be the assignment of route expiry time. This thesis attempts to develop a mathematical model to compute the path duration. The mathematical model is based on the concept of least remaining distance (LRD). LRD is similar to the shortest path forwarding, where the path is selected based on the least number of hops. In this technique, the path is selected by the least path duration. An analytical expression of path duration for an n-hop network is derived. The accuracy of the model is validated with the experimental results available in the literature.