Mobility models for wireless networks
Alexander P. Pelov · 2009
Wireless networks have witnessed an explosive development in the past few decades, both for civil and military uses. The wide variety of requirements and application scenarios have provided an abundance of research challenges, some of which encountered for the first time in the context of computer network communications at such significant scale. One of the major reasons of the success of these networks is the possibility to remain mobile while still using some of the services provided by the network. As a consequence, mobility modeling has become a first class actor of wireless network related studies. In this thesis we have studied the various aspects and properties making a mobility model appropriate for wireless network research, including but not limited to analytical and simulation studies of WLAN, MANET, VANET, DTN and Cellular networks. We have introduced the LEMMA, a general framework which facilitates the creation, modification, validation and verification of mobility models. The architecture is based on three simple principles enforcing few restrictions on model components. We have formulated the foundations necessary for defining and studying analytical models by following the principles of this architecture. Additionally, we have proved essential mathematical properties of the framework and have demonstrated both empirically and formally that any mobility model can be represented with LEMMA. In order to provide a strict correspondence to the intuitive idea of model realism we have formalized the validity of a model in a given context. Finally, we analyzed two real-world GPS trace data sets with and defined a context of validity based on these traces.