Clustering Schemes in Wireless Sensor Networks and Mobile Ad hoc Network: Classification and Comparison

Number of clustering schemes has been proposed so far for different ad hoc networks which play an important role in self organizing them. The two prominent ad hoc networks which have gained lot popularity during the last few years are Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) and Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs). This paper surveys clustering schemes used in these two networks and classifies them accordingly. A systematic classification of these schemes enables one to better understand and make improvements. Both of these networks focuses on different criteria for clustering of networks based on the constraints imposed on them and the requirements of the applications using the network.