A Survey on Load Balanced Clustering Algorithms

The Ad Hoc network is defined by the mobile nature of the nodes and the removal of the requirement for an infrastructure based network i.e. the use of routers and gateways. Ad Hoc networks generally work in clusters i.e. the grouping of wireless mobile devices (computers or embedded devices which is based on efficient communication between all the nodes). Clusters are formed by clubbing together nodes along the wireless links. Cluster Heads are the nodes which communicate with the other nodes that it can cover under its communication range. Cluster Heads form a virtual backbone and may be used to route packets for nodes in their cluster. Nodes, being in an Ad Hoc network, are presumed to have a non-deterministic mobility pattern. Different heuristics employ different policies to elect Cluster Heads. Many of these policies are biased in favor of some nodes. As a result, these nodes shoulder greater responsibility which may deplete their energy faster due higher number of communication made, causing them to drop out of the network. Therefore, there is a need for load-balancing among Cluster Heads to allow all nodes the opportunity to serve as a Cluster Head. A Survey on various clustering algorithms for load balancing is presented in this paper.