Adaptive network routing method by electrical-circuit modeling

We propose a new routing control method, called potential routing, for packet communication in computer networks. Potential routing models a computer network as an electrical circuit, and performs packet routing according to the potential differences between adjacent nodes. The node potentials are first given by Kirchhoff's law and are then dynamically adjusted according to the traffic situation. Potential routing has the following features: (1) It can be applied to arbitrary network topologies. It takes account of the global network topology in determining the route. (2) The routing table is easily and therefore quickly computed by Kirchhoff's law, by solving simple simultaneous equations. No convergence problem arises. (3) It does not involve the ping-pong (loop) problem. By simulation, we verified that potential routing shortens transmission delays, especially when the traffic is heavy or unbalanced.