Optimizing number of cluster heads in wireless sensor networks for clustering algorithms

Abstract

Clustering of sensor nodes is an energy efficient approach to extend lifetime of wireless sensor networks. It organizes the sensor nodes in independent clusters. Clustering of sensor nodes avoids the long distance communication of nodes and hence prolongs the network functioning time. The number of cluster heads is an important aspect for energy efficient clustering of nodes because total intra-cluster communication distance and total distance of cluster heads to base station depends upon number of cluster heads. In this paper, we have used genetic algorithms for optimizing the number of cluster heads while taking trade-off between total intracluster distance and total distance of cluster heads to base station. Experimental results show that proposed scheme can efficiently optimize the number of cluster heads for clustering of nodes in wireless sensor networks.