Routing in wireless ad hoc networks by analogy to electrostatic theory

In this paper we introduce a novel approach for the routing problem in wireless ad hoc networks. Our approach is based on the analogy of the routing problem to the distribution of electric field in a physical media with a given density of charges. We show that the throughput can be significantly increased by choosing routes in such a way that the traffic is spread as uniformly as possible throughout the network. Achieving this uniform spreading requires solution of a set of partial differential equations similar to Maxwell's equations in the electrostatic theory. While the main focus in the paper is on the case in which many sources communicate with a single destination, extension to the case of multiple destinations is also described.