Fundamentally, in any networked information technology (NIT) system, also referred to as networked or network-centric systems, first, the relevant data are identified and acquired from geographically dispersed points; second, the raw data are transformed into usable information through computational intelligence techniques; and third, the information is disseminated to other geographically dispersed regions as needed. The functions are carried out by the individual constituent subsystems, which are executing concurrently and independently. Thus, the decision for the entire underlying NIT system comprises the local decisions at all of the subsystems and the local decisions are, in turn, derived using appropriate information obtained from a wide geographical area. In essence, NIT systems stand on three pillars computing engines, networking infrastructure, and the underlying control. NIT systems are complex, involving hundreds or possibly thousands of geographically dispersed nodes executing autonomously and interacting asynchronously under real-world conditions to achieve the objectives of the NIT system. NIT systems are rapidly proliferating and promise to become even more encompassing, powerful, capable, and beneficial in the future. NIT systems are likely to encompass patient medical records, remote surgery, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), communications and control in deep space, and innumerable innovative services and products, limited only by our imagination.
In the current literature on computer decision-making algorithms, a reference to a distributed algorithm invariably alludes to a synchronous, distributed algorithm. Asynchronous, distributed, decision-making (ADDM) algorithms are rarely referenced in the literature, primarily because they are...
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