Cluster Number Variability Problem in LEACH

LEACH is one of the most popular hierarchical routing algorithms for sensor networks. In LEACH, the cluster number per round takes an important effect on the network lifetime. Thus the goal of the cluster head selection algorithm is to ensure that the expected number of clusters per round equals a pre-determined optimal value k. However, a slight inaccuracy is spotted in the computation of the node self-selected probability per round. As a result, the number of clusters produced by the algorithm is distributed in a large range around the target value. We propose an improved clustering scheme (I-LEACH) to correct this inaccuracy. The experimental results show that this scheme can ensure a more stable number of clusters.