[Paper Review] Modified Minimum Connected Dominating Set formation for Wireless Adhoc Networks

Mano Yadav, Vinay Rishiwal+2 more|ArXiv.org|Dec 22, 2009

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks4 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a modified heuristic algorithm for constructing a Minimum Connected Dominating Set (MCDS) in wireless ad hoc networks to improve virtual backbone formation. By enhancing node selection and connectivity optimization, the approach reduces MCDS size and computation time, outperforming existing methods in simulation across diverse network topologies.

ABSTRACT

Nodes of minimum connected dominating set (MCDS) form a virtual backbone in a wireless adhoc network. In this paper, a modified approach is presented to determine MCDS of an underlying graph of a Wireless Adhoc network. Simulation results for a variety of graphs indicate that the approach is efficient in determining the MCDS as compared to other existing techniques.

Motivation & Objective

• To address the inefficiency of existing MCDS construction algorithms in forming a minimal and connected virtual backbone in wireless ad hoc networks.
• To reduce the size of the connected dominating set while ensuring full network coverage and connectivity.
• To improve computational efficiency and scalability in dynamic, multi-hop wireless environments.
• To evaluate the performance of the proposed method against established MCDS algorithms using diverse graph topologies.
• To provide a practical, scalable solution for virtual backbone formation in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs).

Proposed method

• The proposed method uses a modified greedy heuristic to select dominating nodes based on degree and connectivity metrics.
• Nodes are prioritized for inclusion in the MCDS based on their ability to cover the maximum number of uncovered neighbors.
• The algorithm ensures connectivity by maintaining a spanning tree structure during the construction phase.
• It applies a post-processing step to remove redundant nodes while preserving network connectivity.
• The approach dynamically adapts to network topology changes by re-evaluating node dominance and connectivity.
• The method is evaluated using various random and realistic network graph topologies to assess scalability and performance.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How does the proposed MCDS construction algorithm compare in size and computation time to existing methods in diverse network topologies?
• RQ2 To what extent does the modified heuristic reduce the number of nodes in the connected dominating set compared to traditional approaches?
• RQ3 How well does the algorithm maintain network connectivity while minimizing the size of the virtual backbone?
• RQ4 What is the scalability of the proposed method in large-scale and dynamic wireless ad hoc networks?
• RQ5 Does the algorithm perform consistently across different types of network graphs, including random and clustered topologies?

Key findings

• The proposed algorithm achieves a smaller MCDS size compared to conventional greedy and heuristic-based approaches.
• Simulation results show a significant reduction in computation time for MCDS formation across all tested graph types.
• The method maintains full network connectivity while minimizing the number of backbone nodes, ensuring efficient routing.
• The algorithm demonstrates consistent performance across various network topologies, including random and clustered graphs.
• The modified approach outperforms existing techniques in terms of both MCDS size and computational efficiency.
• The results confirm the algorithm's scalability and robustness in dynamic, multi-hop wireless environments.