Clustering Algorithms in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Clustering of nodes provides an efficient means of establishing a hierarchical structure in mobile ad hoc networks. In mobile ad hoc networks, the movement of the network nodes may quickly change the topology resulting in the increase of the overhead message in topology maintenance; the clustering schemes for mobile ad hoc networks therefore aim at handling topology maintenance, managing node movement or reducing overhead. This paper presents the reasons for clustering algorithms in ad hoc networks, as well as a short survey of the basic ideas and priorities of existing clustering algorithms.