Distributed cut detection in sensor networks

We propose a distributed algorithm to detect ¿cuts¿ in sensor networks, i.e., the failure of a set of nodes that separates the networks into two or more components. The algorithm consists of a simple iterative scheme in which every node updates a scalar state by communicating with its nearest neighbors. In the absence of cuts, the states converge to values that are equal to potentials in a fictitious electrical network. When a set of nodes gets separated from a special node, that we call a ¿source node¿, their states converge to 0 because ¿current is extracted¿ from the component but none is injected. These trends are used by every node to detect if a cut has occurred that has rendered it disconnected from the source. Although the algorithm is iterative and involves only local communication, its convergence rate is quite fast and is independent of the size of the network.