Decentralized Computing

Abstract

Feeding all relevant inputs to a central solver is the obvious way to tackle a problem, but it's not always the only way. Decentralized methods that make do with only local communication and local computation are sometimes the best way. This episode of Drill Bits reviews an elegant protocol for self-organizing wireless networks that can also solve a seemingly impossible social networking problem. The protocol preserves privacy among participants and is so simple that it can be implemented with pencil, paper, and postcards. Example software implements both the decentralized protocol and a centralized solver.