A Log(N) Distributed Mutual Exclusion Algorithm Based on Path Reversal

In this paper, we present a distributed algorithm for mutual exclusion based on path reversal. The algorithm does not use logical clocks to serialize the concurrent events, and all the variables are bounded. When a process invokes a critical section, it sends a request to the tail of a queue. A dynamical rooted tree gives the path to this tail. The algorithm requires only O(Log (n)) messages on average, where n is the number of processes in the network. The performances analysis of the algorithm is based on generating formal power series. Support This work was financed in part by the CNRS: Unité associée 040822 and the C3 co-ordinated research program. Index Terms Distributed algorithm, mutual exclusion, logical rooted tree, distributed variables, Dyck words, Path reversal. * LIB, Faculté des sciences, Route de Gray 25030 BESANCON-CEDEX, FRANCE ** LaBRI , Université BORDEAUX I, 33405 TALENCE-CEDEX, FRANCE