Abstract
In this paper we present AntNet, a novel adaptive approach to routing tables learning in packet-switched communications networks. AntNet is inspired by the stigmergy model of communication observed in ant colonies. We present compelling evidence that AntNet, when measuring performance by standard measures such as network throughput and average packet delay, outperforms the current Internet routing algorithm (OSPF), some old Internet routing algorithms (SPF and distributed adaptive Bellman-Ford), and recently proposed forms of asynchronous online Bellman-Ford (Q-routing and Predictive Q-routing).
This work was supported by a Madame Curie Fellowship awarded to Gianni Di Caro (CEC TMR Contract N. ERBFMBICT-961153). Marco Dorigo is a Research Associate with the FNRS.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Barto A.G., Sutton R.S., & Anderson C.W. 1983. Neuronlike Adaptive Elements that Can Solve Difficult Learning Control Problems. IEEE Tr. on Syst., Man, and Cyb. 13: 834–846.
Beckers R., Deneubourg J.L., & Goss S. 1992. Trails and U-turns in the Selection of the Shortest Path by the Ant Lasius Niger. J. of Theor. Biology 159:397–415.
Bertsekas D. & Gallager R. 1992. Data Networks. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bonabeau E., Dorigo M., & Theraulaz T. (in press). From Natural to Artificial Swarm Intelligence. Oxford University Press.
Boyan J. A. & Littman M. L. 1994. Packet Routing in Dynamically Changing Networks: A Reinforcement Learning Approach. In Proc. of NIPS-6, San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann, 671–678.
Choi S. P. M & Yeung D.-Y. 1996. Predictive Q-Routing: A Memory-based Reinforcement Learning Approach to Adaptive Traffic Control. In Proc. of NIPS-8, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 945–910.
Costa D. &, Hertz A. 1997. Ants Can Colour Graphs. J. of the Oper. Res. Soc. 48:295–305.
Di Caro G. & Dorigo M. 1998. AntNet: Distributed Stigmergetic Control for Communications Networks. Tech.Rep. IRIDIA/98-01, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium. To appear in Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research (JAIR).
Di Caro G. & M. Dorigo 1998. An adaptive multi-agent routing algorithm inspired by ants behavior. Proceedings of PART98 — Fifth Annual Australasian Conference on Parallel and Real-Time Systems, September 28–29, 1998, University of Adelaide, Australia, in press.
Di Caro G. & M. Dorigo 1998. Distributed Adaptive Routing by Artificial Ant Colonies. PDCS'98 — 1998 International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing and Systems, October 28–31, 1998, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dorigo M. 1992. Ottimizzazione, Apprendimento Automatico, ed Algoritmi Basati su Metafora Naturale (Optimization, Learning and Natural Algorithms). Ph.D.Thesis, Politecnico di Milano, Italy (in Italian), pp.140.
Dorigo M. & Gambardella L. M. 1997. Ant Colony System: A Cooperative Learning Approach to the Traveling Salesman Problem. IEEE Trans. on Evol. Comp. 1(1): 53–66.
Dorigo M., Maniezzo V., & Colorni A. 1991. Positive Feedback as a Search Strategy. Tech. Rep. No. 91-016, Dip. di Elettronica, Politecnico di Milano, Italy.
Dorigo M., Maniezzo V., & Colorni A. 1996. The Ant System: Optimization by a Colony of Cooperating Agents. IEEE Trans. on Syst., Man, and Cybern.-Part B 26(2): 29–41.
Grassé P. P. 1959. La reconstruction du nid et les coordinations inter-individuelles chez Bellicositermes natalensis et Cubitermes sp. La théorie de la stigmergie: Essai d'interprétation des termites constructeurs. Insect Sociaux 6: 41–83.
McQuillan J. M., Richer I., & Rosen E. C. 1980. The New Routing Algorithm for the ARPANET. IEEE Trans. on Commuications 28:711–719.
Moy J. 1994. OSPF Version 2. Request for Comments (RFC) 1583, Network Work Group.
Schoonderwoerd R., Holland O., Bruten J., & Rothkrantz L. 1996. Ant-based Load Balancing in Telecommunications Networks. Adaptive Behavior 5(2): 169–207.
Shankar A. U., Alaettinoglu C., Dussa-Zieger K., & Matta I. 1992. Performance Comparison of Routing Protocols under Dynamic and Static File Transfer Connections. ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review 22(5): 39–52.
Steenstrup M. E. (ed.) 1995. Routing in Communications Networks. Prentice-Hall.
Stone P. & Veloso M. 1996. Multiagent Systems: A Survey from a Machine Learning Perspective. Tech. Rep. CMU-CS-97-193, Carnegie Mellon University, PA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Di Caro, G., Dorigo, M. (1998). Ant colonies for adaptive routing in packet-switched communications networks. In: Eiben, A.E., Bäck, T., Schoenauer, M., Schwefel, HP. (eds) Parallel Problem Solving from Nature — PPSN V. PPSN 1998. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1498. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0056909
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0056909
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-65078-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49672-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive