An adaptive routing strategy for packet delivery in complex networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces an adaptive routing strategy for complex networks that dynamically estimates waiting times to optimize packet delivery, outperforming traditional shortest-path methods by distributing messages according to node capabilities.

Contribution

The paper proposes a novel adaptive routing approach based on dynamic waiting time estimation, improving message delivery efficiency in scale-free networks.

Findings

Outperforms shortest-path routing in complex networks

Distributes messages according to node handling capabilities

Validated by mean field theory analysis

Abstract

We present an efficient routing approach for delivering packets in complex networks. On delivering a message from a node to a destination, a node forwards the message to a neighbor by estimating the waiting time along the shortest path from each of its neighbors to the destination. This projected waiting time is dynamical in nature and the path through which a message is delivered would be adapted to the distribution of messages in the network. Implementing the approach on scale-free networks, we show that the present approach performs better than the shortest-path approach and another approach that takes into account of the waiting time only at the neighboring nodes. Key features in numerical results are explained by a mean field theory. The approach has the merit that messages are distributed among the nodes according to the capabilities of the nodes in handling messages.