On Asymptotic Statistics for Geometric Routing Schemes in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we present a methodology employing statistical analysis and stochastic geometry to study geometric routing schemes in wireless ad hoc networks. In particular, we analyze the network-layer performance of one such scheme, the random [ 1/ 2]disk routing scheme, which is a localized geometric routing scheme in which each node chooses the next relay randomly among the nodes within its transmission range and in the general direction of the destination. The techniques developed in this paper enable us to establish the asymptotic connectivity and the convergence results for the mean and variance of the routing path lengths generated by geometric routing schemes in random wireless networks. In particular, we approximate the progress of the routing path toward the destination by a Markov process and determine the sufficient conditions that ensure the asymptotic connectivity for both dense and large-scale ad hoc networks deploying the random [ 1/ 2]disk routing scheme. Furthermore, using this Markov characterization, we show that the expected length (hop count) of the path generated by the random [ 1/ 2]disk routing scheme normalized by the length of the path generated by the ideal direct-line routing, converges to 3π/4 asymptotically. Moreover, we show that the variance-to-mean ratio of the routing path length converges to 9π²/64-1 asymptotically. Through simulation, we show that the aforementioned asymptotic statistics are in fact quite accurate even for finite granularity and size of the network.