Fully Decentralized Design of Initialization-free Distributed Network Size Estimation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a fully decentralized, initialization-free method for estimating the size of a network using agent dynamics and synchronization techniques, accommodating dynamic agent participation.

Contribution

It presents a novel decentralized estimation algorithm that accurately determines network size without prior initialization, even with changing network membership.

Findings

Achieves convergence to network size regardless of initial conditions

Operates effectively with dynamic agent join and leave scenarios

Ensures accurate estimation using unique agent identifiers

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a distributed scheme for estimating the network size, which refers to the total number of agents in a network. By leveraging a synchronization technique for multi-agent systems, we devise an agent dynamics that ensures convergence to an equilibrium point located near the network size regardless of its initial condition. Our approach is based on an assumption that each agent has a unique identifier, and an estimation algorithm for obtaining the largest identifier value. By adopting this approach, we successfully implement the agent dynamics in a fully decentralized manner, ensuring accurate network size estimation even when some agents join or leave the network.