Node Placement for Connected Coverage in Sensor Networks

We address the problem of optimal node placement for ensuring connected coverage in sensor networks. We consider two different practical scenarios. In the first scenario, a certain region (or a set of regions) are to be provided connected coverage, while in the second case, a given set of n points are to be covered and connected. For the first case, we provide solutions that are within a small factor of the optimum. For the second case, we present an algorithm that runs in polynomial time, and guarantees a constant factor approximation ratio.