Applying the dynamics of evolution to achieve reliability in master-worker computing

We consider Internet-based master-worker task computations, such as SETI@home, where a master process sends tasks, across the Internet, to worker processes; workers execute and report back some result. However, these workers are not trustworthy, and it might be at their best interest to report incorrect results. In such master-worker computations, the behavior and the best interest of the workers might change over time. We model such computations using evolutionary dynamics, and we study the conditions under which the master can reliably obtain task results. In particular, we develop and analyze an algorithmic mechanism based on reinforcement learning to provide workers with the necessary incentives to eventually become truthful. Our analysis identifies the conditions under which truthful behavior can be ensured and bounds the expected convergence time to that behavior. The analysis is complemented with illustrative simulations.This work is supported by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation grant TΠE/ΠΛHPO/0609(BE)/05, the National Science Foundation (CCF-0937829, CCF-1114930), Comunidad de Madrid grants S2009TIC-1692 and MODELICO-CM, Spanish PRODIEVO and RESINEE grants and MICINN grant EC2011-29688-C02-01, and National Natural Science Foundation of China grant 61020106002.Publicad