Connecting Two Worlds: Physical Models and Graph Models of Wireless Network Topologies

The way the network topology is modeled in a wireless network, primarily in ad hoc and sensor networks, has a fundamental influence on protocol design and efficiency. The frequently used graph models are simpler, and more amenable to analysis and protocol development. On the other hand, physical models represent the actual radio environment much more faithfully, albeit at the price of being far less supportive to network protocol development. We consider the potential future trend of resolving this conflict, via the integration of the two approaches. We present some results and challenges in exploring the connections between the two apparently very different classes of models.