A survey on Trust and Reputation-Based Clustering Algorithms in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

In flat mobile ad-hoc MANETs, an extensive amount of information is produced that may saturate the network. Due to network scalability and node heterogeneity, it is highly desirable to organize the nodes into clusters and form a hierarchal structure. Cluster formation in ad-hoc wireless MANETs has been a problem from a long time. Recent work on clustering in MANETs focus on balance cluster formation, but there is always a tradeoff in network division quality and cluster formation time. Some nodes reveal false information during the clustering process that may result in unstable clustering structure. One method to form high-quality clusters is to consider the trust and reputation of mobile nodes during network operations. In this paper, a comprehensive survey of reliable, trust and reputation based clustering algorithms is presented. The clustering algorithms are classified objectives and some other metrics. The trust and reputation based clustering algorithms are summarized. The objectives and findings of all peppers under consideration are stated. The future challenges of these algorithms are also highlighted to help the young researchers in conducting their research on clustering. The research directions are highlighted in the field of clustering in MANETs.