Voting-Based Clustering Algorithm with Subjective Trust and Stability in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In existing clustering algorithms in mobile ad hoc networks, some of them consider only stability of cluster heads, and some others take only security into account, while only a few of them consider both factors. We propose Voting-based Clustering Algorithm with subjective trust and stability (VCA) by accessing subjective trust of node through Bayesian method and by evaluating stability of node through computing the neighbor change ratio and the residual battery power of mobile nodes. The proposed algorithm implements electing cluster heads according to the subjective trust degree and the stability of node. Compared with lowest-id, highest-degree and weight-based distributed clustering algorithm (WCA), it can improve system performance, maintain network security, and have good generality. Simulation studies show that the proposed algorithm has less communication overhead and better efficiency than existing algorithms.