Algorithms and Simulation Methods for Topology-Aware Sensor Networks

This chapter presents a number of different aspects related to a particular kind of large and complex networks: A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) consists of a large number of nodes that individually have limited computing power and information; their interaction is strictly local, but their task is to build global structures and pursue global objectives. Dealing with WSNs requires a mixture of theory and practice, i.e., a combination of algorithmic foundations with simulations and experiments that has been the subject of our project SwarmNet. In the first part, we describe a number of fundamental algorithmic issues: boundary recognition without node coordinates, clustering, routing, and energy-constrained flows. The second part deals with the simulation of large-scale WSNs; we describe the most important challenges and how they can be tackled with our network simulator Shawn.