Recent advances in computer and wireless communications technologies are paving the way for a widespread use of a new class of mobile wireless networks referred to as ad-hoc networks.  These networks are self-organizing, rapidly deployable, and require no fixed infrastructure. As such these networks are envisioned to have dynamic, sometimes rapidly-changing, random, multi-hop topologies which are likely composed of relatively bandwidth-constrained wireless links. The vision of mobile ad hoc networking is to support robust and efficient operation in mobile wireless networks by incorporating routing functionality into mobile nodes. 

The lack of infrastructure makes ad hoc wireless networks a viable alternative to cellular networks whenever a fixed network is infeasible to implement, or less desirable due to cost, security or lack of flexibility.  Ad hoc networks are ideal for many applications, ranging from personal area networks to rescue operations, and are expected to become an integral part of the networking infrastructure.  Ad Hoc networks, however, have several salient characteristics including time-varying topology, bandwidth-constrained, variable capacity links, energy-constrained operation, and limited physical security. Furthermore,  some envisioned networks may be relatively large, which brings about the need for adequate mechanism to achieve scalability.

This course focuses on the fundamental issues related to the design of this new class of networks. The topics to be covered include the basic characteristics of a wireless link, the design implications of energy and resource limitations on media access and networking protocols, network self-configuration and adaptation, localization and time synchronization, and security in wireless ad-hoc networks. The course will also discuss the impact of mobility on protocol design in wireless Internet environments.

Course Prerequisites

In general, very good knowledge of fundamentals of computer networks and systems is required. A course in computer networks, at the senior or graduate level, is mandatory. Some knowledge of operating systems, data structures and algorithms, and graph theory is recommended.

Course Structure

This will be a challenging course, requiring each student to read a large number of technical papers, write critiques, lead class discussions through presentations, and work on a research project.

Class attendance and participation are mandatory, both for lectures given by the instructor as well as presentations given by other students. The reading materials will be available on the web ahead of the lectures.

To facilitate class participation and exciting discussion among the participants, each class will be structured as follows:

·        Presentation Session: During this segment, the presenter will discuss the main aspects of the paper. The presenter should summarize the paper, give some context for the paper by discussing related research work, and set the stage for an animated discussion. The session will last 25-30 minutes. The presenter is responsible for staying within the time limit.

·        Critique Session: During this segment, the presenter will evaluate the significance of the research work proposed in the paper, through careful consideration of its contributions and the novelty of the proposed approaches to the solution: What are the main contribution(s)? What are the innovations of the paper toward the solution? How do the contributions of the paper relate to the contributions of related work? What are the weaknesses of the paper? What are the most promising areas of follow-on work in the area? This session will last 15 minutes. The presenter is responsible for staying within the time limit.

·        Discussion Session: During this segment, open class discussion will take place. This is an important and significant part of this course. Students are strongly encouraged to participate actively in this discussion. This is a good way to learn and gain better understanding of the state of the art in the field. Students are expected to ask questions, make suggestions, explore new ideas, and point out related work if applicable. Care must be taken not to monopolize the discussion. Students are expected to be concise, convincing and conclusive in their arguments. This session will typically last 20 minutes

Grading Policy

The final grade for this course will be based on the following:

·        Reading Summaries (25%): Each student will be required to read and summarize at least two of the assigned papers for each topic. Students will submit a written summary of the papers they have read, except for the weeks in which they will be presenting a paper in class.

·        Paper Presentation (20%): Each student will be required to present 3-4 papers. The speaker is responsible for making the slides of the presentation available, along with any relevant material, prior to class presentation. Attendees will be assessed on the contributions they make to the discussion when others are presenting

·        Paper Review (15%): Each student will be asked to review a technical submission by a colleague and submit a detailed review of the submission along with a recommendation for the paper. Reviews will be assigned anonymously.

·        Research Project (40%): Each student will, individually or in a group of at most two, execute a research project, involving analysis, simulation or implementation, or building a prototype and demonstrate its working. At the end of the term, each student must submit a research report in the form of a conference paper and briefly present their results in class.

Useful Sites

Recent related papers can be found in the following web sites

·        Infocom: Communications Conference

·        Mobicom: Mobile Computing Conference

·        Mobihoc: Mobile Ad Hoc Networks Conference

·        Sigcom: Communication Conference

Policy of Missed Exams