The project develops a mathematical and algorithmic foundation for the field of network computing. The project ties together ideas from network coding with computational problems. While some special cases of network computing have been recently studied, this project carries out a unified study of the field of network computing. The project exploits the promise of improved performance using non-linear codes over traditional network routing and linear coding techniques. Emphasis is placed on computing in networks that allow coding in addition to routing. Applications of network computing include sensor networks and wireless networks. The broad fields studied are: (1) theory and algorithms, and (2) alternative network computing models.
The main objectives of the project are to achieve a deep mathematical understanding of network computing capacity and solvability and to develop practical algorithms that can be used effectively to improve performance in real applications. The investigation involves mathematical analysis, algorithm design, and computer simulation. The main topic areas investigated are: (1) Capacity computability and alphabet size, (2) Iterative design of network computing algorithms, (3) Limiting the number of network nodes that can perform coding, (4) Average computation rate in network coding, (5) Bi-directional and broadcast-mode network computing.
