Distributed Fuzzy Score-Based Clustering Algorithm for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANET) are multi-hop wireless packet networks in which all the nodes cooperatively maintain the network connectivity without the aid of infrastructure networks. This paper proposes a new Distributed Fuzzy Score-based Clustering Algorithm (DFSCA) for MANETs. The proposed Clustering Algorithm considers the Battery Remaining, Number of Neighbors, Number of Members, and Stability in order to calculate the node´s score with a Fuzzy inference algorithm. After each node calculates its score independently, the neighbors of the node must be notified about it. Also each node selects one of its neighbors with the highest score to be its cluster head and, therefore the selection of cluster heads is performed in a distributed manner with most recent information about current status of neighbor nodes. The proposed algorithm is compared with Weighted Clustering Algorithm and Fuzzy Cluster Mean algorithm in terms of number of clusters, lifespan of nodes in the system and the end-to-end throughput. The simulation results proved that the proposed algorithm has achieved the goals.