A path searching method based on circuit analysis for nonlinear resistive networks

In this paper, we propose a novel path searching method based on the local winner take all (WTA) circuits that are constructed by corporative and competitive networks to find the maximum local current on each node connected to nonlinear resistance. By putting nonlinear resistances on the network, the network has a saturation characteristic of current. Each nonlinear resistance is a sigmoidal function according to Ohm´s law. By using the analysis of the nonlinear resistive network, the equilibrium solution can be represented as maximum-flow from a starting point to a terminal point. The maximum-flow result is often used to request the communication charge of each branch capacity and the maximum communication charge in the network. Therefore, our research is applicable in the communication network. Moreover, finding the optimal path of the network can be related to a quality of service (QoS).