Trust-Based Multi-objective Optimization for Node-to-Task Assignment in Coalition Networks

A temporary coalition is often formed to pursue a common goal based on the collaboration of multiple partners who may have their own objectives. The coalition network must attain multiple objectives, under resource constraints and time deadlines. We propose a task assignment algorithm for a scenario where tasks are dynamic, with different arrival times and deadlines. We propose a heuristic coalition formation technique that uses multiple dimensions of trust (i.e., integrity, competence, social connectedness, and reciprocity) to assess trust of each entity. The proposed scheme enables task leaders to make critical assignment decisions based on assessed trustworthiness of entities. We consider three different objectives, namely, maximizing resilience and resource utilization while minimizing delay to task completion. We devise a ranking-based heuristic with linear runtime complexity to select members based on risk derived from trust assessment of nodes. We validate the performance of our proposed scheme by comparing our scheme with a non-trust-based baseline scheme as well as a global optimal solution implemented with the Integer Linear Programming technique.