Toward a theory of node cooperation in Networks

Kave Salamatian

Lancaster University


Résumé:

Cooperation is the main essence of any network. It is through cooperation between routers that information are relayed and that path that will be followed by a packet from source to destination are decided; a protocol is nothing more than the formalization of the collaboration between two or more network entities. Whenever cooperation have such a central place in networks, a theory of cooperation is still stubbering. In this presentation I will present concepts and directions to develop a strong generic framework and eventually a theoretical basis for node cooperation in future internet. Cooperation means to act jointly toward a common goal. There is in this definition at least two ill-defined terms: ”acting” and ”common goal”. I wil describe these terms and what differentiate in my view cooperation from non-cooperative framework. I will define a global forwarding framework and show how it can results overall stability of the network as well as in a Nash Bargaining (or Pareto optimal) behaviour. These provide initial steps toward the development of a theoretical basis for future Internet.


[Kave Salamatian]
Lancaster University