The main objective of COST Action 295, "DYNAMO", is to provide foundations, models, algorithms, and general tools for dynamic communication networks. These new decision-support tools will favour the study and the efficient design of applications for networks of decentralized interacting and evolving entities, experiencing possibly brutal modifications of their environments.

DYNAMO integrates the state-of-the-art scientific knowledge from the fields of Algorithms, Discrete Mathematics, Distributed Computing, and Mathematical Optimization, relevant to dynamic communication networks, in order to develop decision-support network technologies. These sophisticated decision-support tools enables overcoming the increased complexity of questions induced by the dynamics of advanced decentralized systems. Among the main problems tackled by DYNAMO are: placement of equipment, spectrum assignment, bandwidth allocation, infrastructure design, and distributed systems design. This is aiming at helping optimizing the deployment and usage of high-end technology communication networks, like mobile networks, radio networks, cellular networks, satellite networks, ad hoc networks, and sensors networks, as well as of societal-driven emerging information technologies, like the World Wide Web, and peer-to-peer networks.

The scientific objectives of DYNAMO are focused around the following main aspects:

  1. Characterization of common properties shared by large-scale dynamic complex networks (and their communication aspects) arising from the interaction of basic entities, including Internet, sensor, cellular and ad-hoc networks, and social networks (e.g., the WWW, peer-to-peer, etc.).
  2. Design of new dynamic network models (and general communication schemes), optimized with respect to the new measures resulting from the above, while improving other system characteristics (reliability, communication delays, etc.).
  3. Construction of distributed protocol (in the standard setting, or combined with the use of mobile agents) capable of extracting and processing local and global network information.
  4. Production of basic practical algorithms (for routing, control, searching, etc.) to be used in the development of network-based applications.
  5. Validation of the results using data extracted from real self-organizing dynamic networks, by the use of reproducible simulations and benchmarks.

DYNAMO is organized in four Working Groups (WG), and coordinated by three Coordinating Activities (CA).

Working Groups:

  • WG 1: Small Worlds
  • WG 2: Wireless Networks: Sensor, dust, and ad-hoc networks
  • WG 3: Peer-to-Peer Networks
  • WG 4: Emerging Algorithmic Technologies

Coordinating Activities:

  • CA 1: Cross-fertilization
  • CA 2: Large Networks for Benchmarks/Test-Beds
  • CA 3: Convergence with other Aspects of Dynamic Networks