Separability and topology control of quasi unit disk graphs

Abstract

A deep understanding of the structural properties of wireless networks is critical for evaluating the performance of network protocols and improving their designs. Many protocols for wireless networks — routing, topology control, information storage/retrieval and numerous other applications — have been based on the idealized unit-disk graph (UDG) network model. The significant deviation of the UDG model from many real wireless networks is substantially limiting the applicability of such protocols. A more general network model, the quasi unitdisk graph (quasi-UDG) model, captures much better the characteristics of wireless networks. However, the understanding on the properties of general quasi-UDGs has been very limited, which is impeding the designs of key network protocols and algorithms. In this paper, we present results on two important properties of quasi-UDGs: separability and the existence of power efficient spanners. Network separability is a fundamental property leading to efficient network algorithms and fast parallel computation. We prove that every quasi-UDG has a corresponding grid graph with small balanced separators that captures its connectivity properties. We also study the construction of wireless backbones through topology control for efficient communication and present a distributed localized algorithm that builds a nearly planar backbone in any quasi-UDG with low constant stretch factor and degree. We demonstrate the excellent performance of these properties through simulations and show, among many applications, their application in efficient routing.