Abstract
Clustering of mobile ad hoc networks is a largely growing field. The perceived benefits of clustering are comprehensively analyzed in open literature. This paper considers the development of a new distributed connected-dominated-set clustering algorithm called Ring Clustering Algorithm (RCA). RCA is a heuristic algorithm that has three phases: ring-formation phase, members-joining phase and CDS-nodes selection phase. In the ring-formation phase, each ring consists of three ring-nodes. The ring is formed if it has the highest priority. The priority of the ring is based on the total ring-degree rather than the individual node-degree. The degree of a ring is the number of neighbors that the three ring-nodes have all together without repetition. Nodes that cannot form rings join neighboring rings as members in the members-joining phase. In the CDS nodes selection phase, the decision is made for a node to remain or leave the CDS. This paper presents the proof that the maximum number of rings that can be formed by RCA in any disk area equals the maximum number of independent nodes that create non-overlapping circles in a corresponding area. This allowed RCA to achieve the lowest fixed approximation ratio (5.146). Moreover, RCA has O(n) for both time and message complexities. Thus, RCA algorithm outperforms the current-best CDS algorithms that are investigated in this paper. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.