Introduction to Distributed Algorithms: The Book

Bibliographic data:

Title: Introduction to Distributed Algorithms.
Author: Gerard Tel.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (US Server).
First Edition:
Date: November 1994.
ISBN 0 521 47069 2, 546p., hardback 32.50 pounds/52.95 dollars net.
Second Edition:
Date: September 2000.
ISBN 0 521 79483 8, 608p., paperback 38 pounds.

For more information and ordering, contact Cambridge University Press in the UK or the US.

Brief description of contents

The textbook introduces the reader to the vast amount of distributed algorithms and theory about these algorithms developed over the past fifteen years. The clear presentation makes the book suitable for use as a textbook (in undergraduate as well as graduate courses), while the treatment of the algorithms is sufficiently deep to be useful for practising engineers and researchers.

The book concentrates on algorithms for the point-to-point message passing model. It includes algorithms for the implementation of computer communication networks (routing, data transmission and connection management, techniques for deadlock avoidance). The book contains algorithms for the control of distributed applications (wave, broadcast, election, termination detection, randomized algorithms for anonymous networks, snapshots, deadlock detection, synchronous systems). Fault-tolerance achievable by distributed algorithms is also discussed (impossibility and possibility in asynchronous systems, consensus in synchronous systems, authentication, clock synchronization, stabilizing algorithms).

About the Cover

The painting on the cover was made in 1760 by the Utrecht artist Pieter Jan van Liender (1727-1779). It shows the Gaardbrug (bridge), which is the name of the picture, but also the Dom tower that has dominated the skyline of downtown Utrecht for six centuries. The painting is in the possession of the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, though not on display currently.

Errata

Please see the list of reported errors.

Foreign editions

Chinese cover The book was written and first published in English. In 2003, the English version was printed and distributed in China by the Publishing House of Electronics Industry (cover right).

A Chinese translation is available since 2004.

An English edition for the Indian subcontinent is available since 2005.

A Russian translation is available since 2009.