Wireless multi-hop network topology control optimization and trade-off analysis

Future communications require distributed, adjustable and energy-efficient wireless topologies. Network churn based topology modification mechanisms have been shown to achieve such goals by infusing small-world properties in multi-hop radio networks, thus improving network reconfiguration and end-to-end capabilities. Towards further enhancing such mechanisms, in this work, we present an optimization methodology that analyzes and properly balances the underlying node and edge churn sub-mechanisms of network churn modification. The emerging optimization is non-linear in the general case and we employ sequential quadratic programming and decomposition methods to tackle it. By exploiting the obtained solutions, we demonstrate the efficacy of the optimization and analyze the inherent wireless trade-off between energy consumption and average path length. We show that when energy consumption is of interest, node churn based control should be preferred, while in order to increase performance, edge churn is more suitable. Thus, the proposed optimization methodology enables efficient and targeted control of multi-hop wireless communications for the Future Internet at various scales and operational demands.