Optical MANs based on the de Bruijn graph.

This thesis proposes and studies multihop lightwave networks based on the de Bruijn Graph (dBG) and their hierarchical structures. Routing algorithms that take advantage of the inherent structure of the network are studied. Three new algorithms that would progressively improve on the mean path length performance are proposed, and the network performances are studied in terms of mean path length, network throughput, delay, locality factor and the propagation delay. The study shows that the performance of this type of network topology is desirable and is comparable to other types of multihop systems. It may be considered as a candidate for optical Metropolitan Area Networks. The optical implementation and design criteria are also discussed in the thesis. It shows that such networks are feasible with today's lightwave technology and can also be easily adapted to the more advanced technique in the future