On the performance of protocols for collecting responses over a multiple-access channel

We consider a generalization of the multiple access problem where it is necessary to identify a subset of the ready users, not all. The problem is motivated by several "response collection" applications that arise in distributed computing and database systems. In these applications, a collector is interested in gathering a set of responses from a number of potential respondents. The collector and respondents communicate over a shared channel. We define three collection objectives and investigate a suite of protocols that can be used to achieve these objectives. The protocols are based on the use of polling, TDMA, and group testing. Using a binomial respondent model we analyze and, where applicable, optimize the performance of the protocols. Our concern is with cost measures that reflect the computational load placed on the system, as well as the delay incurred for achieving a particular objective.<>