Broadcasting on Adversarial Multiple Access Channels

Abstract: We study deterministic distributed algorithms for broadcasting on multiple-access channels. Packet injection is modeled by leaky-bucket adversaries. There is a fixed set of stations attached to a channel. Additional features of the model of communication include an upper bound on the number of stations activated in a round, an individual injection rate, and randomness in generating and injecting packets. We demonstrate that some broadcast algorithms designed for ad-hoc channels have bounded latency for increased ranges of injection rates than in ad-hoc channels when executed on channels with a fixed number of stations against adversaries that can activate at most one station per round. Individual injection rates are shown to impact latency, as compared to the model of general leaky bucket adversaries. Outcomes of experiments are given that compare the performance of broadcast algorithms against randomized adversaries. The experiments include deterministic algorithms and randomized backoff algorithms.