Scale-Free Opportunistic Networks: is it Possible?

TL;DR

This paper explores the possibility of creating scale-free topologies within opportunistic mobile networks by controlling contact management, leveraging their delay-tolerant, store-carry-forward nature to emulate complex network structures.

Contribution

It proposes a strategy to shape opportunistic network overlays to follow desired topologies like scale-free networks, using contact management techniques.

Findings

Potential to emulate scale-free networks in mobile opportunistic settings

A method to control contact patterns for desired network topology

Insights into overlay construction in delay-tolerant networks

Abstract

The coupling of scale-free networks with mobile unstructured networks is certainly unusual. In mobile networks, connections active at a given instant are constrained by the geographical distribution of mobile nodes, and by the limited signal strength of the wireless technology employed to build the ad-hoc overlay. This is in contrast with the presence of hubs, typical of scale-free nets. However, opportunistic (mobile) networks possess the distinctive feature to be delay tolerant; mobile nodes implement a store, carry and forward strategy that permits to disseminate data based on a multi-hop route, which is built in time, when nodes encounter other ones while moving. In this paper, we consider opportunistic networks as evolving graphs where links represent contacts among nodes arising during a (non-instantaneous) time interval. We discuss a strategy to control the way nodes manage contacts and build "opportunistic overlays". Based on such an approach, interesting overlays can be obtained, shaped following given desired topologies, such as scale-free ones.