Complex Networks: A Networking and Signal Processing Perspective

Chapter 6Small-World Wireless Mesh Networks

The concept of small-world characteristics offers many benefits when applied to wireless multi-hop relaying networks to minimize the end-to-end hop distance and delay in transmission of data packets. Wireless mesh networks (WMNs), which are a type of multi-hop relaying network, find many applications in civilian as well as tactical communication networks for the following benefits: (i) multi-hop relaying, (ii) easy network deployment and reconfiguration, (iii) low cost of operation, and (iv) improved network reliability and robustness. Small-world characteristics incorporate significant performance benefits such as lower average path length (APL), lower end-to-end delay in data transmission, better ...