Communicating with Beeps

TL;DR

This paper explores the beep model, a minimal communication framework, providing new algorithms and lower bounds for fundamental tasks, thereby advancing understanding of its capabilities and limitations.

Contribution

It introduces the first comprehensive algorithms and lower bounds for key global communication tasks within the beep model.

Findings

Developed algorithms for broadcast and leader election in the beep model.

Established lower bounds demonstrating the limitations of the beep model.

Connected the beep model to other communication frameworks, highlighting its broad applicability.

Abstract

The \emph{beep model} is a very weak communications model in which devices in a network can communicate only via beeps and silence. As a result of its weak assumptions, it has broad applicability to many different implementations of communications networks. This comes at the cost of a restrictive environment for algorithm design. Despite being only recently introduced, the beep model has received considerable attention, in part due to its relationship with other communication models such as that of ad-hoc radio networks. However, there has been no definitive published result for several fundamental tasks in the model. We aim to rectify this with our paper. We present algorithms and lower bounds for a variety of fundamental global communications tasks in the model.