Ad hoc and sensor networks [Series Editorial]
Edoardo Biagioni, Silvia Giordano · IEEE Communications Magazine · 2014
Readers of this publication are undoubtedly familiar with the trade-offs involved in distributed vs. centralized forms of communication. The more centralized the communications, the easier it is to establish order and control, and also to make a profit. More distributed communication requires more resources, both for the communications itself, and especially to achieve consensus or any form of distributed decision making. More distributed communication has the advantage that decision making does not require approval from a central authority, and is therefore useful in cases where parties in a single network might conflict, and at least some people may disagree with (or not trust) the authority's decisions.