An Economic Approach to Hierarchical Routing in Resource Rationed Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we focus on the problem of routing in resource rationed ad hoc networks. We exemplify the concept of resource rationing in a military scenario where the allocated resources are rationed to prolong the mission. By modeling the network as a directed weighted graph, we propose an economic approach to address the routing issue, namely HR³. Our approach begins with a hierarchical bidding process, through which nodes in the network bid for virtual currency. The winning bids use the granted virtual currency to pay the intermediate nodes for packet forwarding. After successful delivery, nodes get rewards. We study the truthfulness of HR³ with rational nodes and propose security extension to identify and isolate the malicious nodes. Through simulations on ns-2, HR³ shows performance gains in data throughput and energy consumption.