Edge betweenness centrality: A novel algorithm for QoS-based topology control over wireless sensor networks

In this paper we propose a novel topology-control algorithm, called edge betweenness centrality (EBC). EBC is based on the concept of betweenness centrality, which has been first introduced in the context of social network analysis (SNA), and measures the “importance” of each node in the network. This information allows us to achieve high quality of service (QoS) in wireless sensor networks by evaluating relationships between entities of the network (i.e., edges), and hence identifying different roles among them (e.g., brokers, outliers), thus controlling information flow, message delivery, latency and energy dissipation among nodes. The experimental evaluation and analysis of EBC in comparison to other state-of-the-art topology control algorithms shows that our algorithm outperforms the competitor ones in all observed cases.

► Topology control for sensor networks is critical for achieving Quality-of-Service.
► Methodologies based on social network analysis can be employed toward this goal.
► The Edge-Betweenness centrality is superior to graph planarization techniques.