Abstract

Mobile agents are software abstractions that can migrate across the links of a network. They naturally extend the object oriented program style and nicely correspond to agents as examined in game theory. In this paper, we introduce a simple, robust, and efficient randomized broadcast protocol within this mobile agent programming paradigm. We show that by using this scheme, broadcasting enquiries in a random graph of certain density O(lnn) steps, where n denotes the number of nodes in the graph. Then, we consider bounded degree graphs and prove that we are able to distribute an information among all nodes in O(D) steps, where D denotes the diameter of the graph. We also show that, in contrast to traditional randomized broadcasting (TRB), graphs exist in which agent-based randomized broadcasting requires Ω(n²) steps. On the other hand, some graphs which require Ω(nlnn) steps to spread the information in the traditional broadcast model, allow very fast agent-based broadcasting. It should be noted that the previously mentioned results are guaranteed with probability 1-o(1/n).

Keywords: Random graphs; Random walks; Mobile agents

Article Outline

1. Introduction

1.1. Specific background

1.2. Related work

1.3. Our results

2. Information spreading in random graphs

3. Information spreading in bounded degree graphs

4. Best-case and worst-case graphs

5. Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References