Modeling emergent behavior in tactical wireless networks

In large networks of nodes with mobility, such as certain tactical wireless networks, overall system behaviors can be difficult to predict given the number of interactions between nodes and the number of possible behavior outcomes. Agent-based modeling is seen as an attractive method for representing and analyzing tactical wireless networks. This paper investigates the use of agent-based models to discover emergent behavior in wireless networks. An initial agent-based model of a tactical wireless network incorporating abstract elements from the physical layer and media access control sub-layer of the OSI model is described. Our experiment results demonstrate the potential in uncovering fundamental rules driving emergent behavior. This research reveals some of the emergent network behaviors in tactical scenarios and illuminates the need to comprehensively consider the underlying networking issues in tactical wireless networks.