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Ant colonies for adaptive routing in packet-switched communications networks

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Parallel Problem Solving from Nature — PPSN V (PPSN 1998)

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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.

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Agoston E. Eiben Thomas Bäck Marc Schoenauer Hans-Paul Schwefel

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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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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

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0056909

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