Randomized fault-detecting leader election in a bi-directional ring

The article particle presents a randomized algorithm for leader election which uses bi-directionality of an asynchronous ring to force a node to `commit´ to a coin flip by sending it in both directions. The algorithm is fault-detecting in a strong sense: it works if and only if there is a connected segment of [n/2]+1 non-faulty processors (n=ringsize). Faulty processors may do anything to disrupt the algorithm-even communicate outside the ring and cooperate. The algorithm guarantees that each non-faulty processor in the segment either has probability 1/n of being elected leader or will receive a fault message