Clustering algorithm in VANETs: A survey

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), as a special kind of mobile ad-hoc network, have been found a promising prospect in the future intelligent transportation system (ITS). However, the high nodes mobility, frequently changed network topology and unstable communication link in VANETs motivates the design of stable clustering algorithms. Much has been done on this topic and many methods have been explored. This paper presents a survey of the clustering techniques researched in recent years, including the description of the algorithms, the application of clustering algorithms and their performance. Through the survey, readers can have a better understanding of the clustering algorithms in VANETs.