Introduction to Distributed Algorithms [Paperback]

Gerard Tel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0521794838 | ISBN-13: 978-0521794831 | Edition: 2

The second edition of this successful textbook provides an up-to-date introduction both to distributed algorithms and to the theory behind them. The clear presentation makes the book suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses, while the coverage is sufficiently deep to make it useful for practicing engineers and researchers. The author concentrates on algorithms for the point-to-point message passing model and includes algorithms for the implementation of computer communication networks. Two new chapters on sense of direction and failure detectors are state of the art and will provide an entry to research in these still-developing topics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an excellent overview of available techniques." Computing Reviews

"The book provides an up-to-date introduction to both distributed algorithms, and to the theory behind these algorithms. The clear presentation makes the book suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses, while the coverage is sufficiently deep to make it useful for practising engineers and researchers." Mathematical Reviews

"Provides a very decent interesting to significant topics of the theory of Distributed Computing, and it is especially suitable as both a reference book and a textbook." SIGACT News

"...a nice textbook...I recommend this book for readers who are interested in a theoretical view of distributed control algorithms." IEEE Parallel & Distributed Technology

Book Description

The second edition of this successful textbook provides an up-to-date introduction both to distributed algorithms and to the theory behind them. The clear presentation makes the book suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses, whilst the coverage is sufficiently deep to make it useful for practising engineers and researchers. The author covers algorithms for: the implementation of computer communication networks; the control of distributed applications; fault-tolerance. The two new chapters on sense of direction and failure detectors will provide an entry to these still-developing topics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 612 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (October 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521794838
• ISBN-13: 978-0521794831
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #895,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the Best Book on Distributed Algorithms!, January 24, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Introduction to Distributed Algorithms (Paperback)

Gerard Tel's is easily the best compilation of distributed computing algorithms existing. First the contents:

I found its coverage to be excellent, broad yet deep coverage on network algorithms and protocols for communication, routing, deadlock-free packet switching, election, termination, global snapshot, sychronization, authenticating, self-stabilization, failure detection, wave, traversal, deadlock detection, fault tolerance, consensus, sense of direction and orientation, etc. It terms of breadth of coverage no existing book compares to this book. In particular it covers more recent areas like sense of direction and orientation and wave algorithms missed by its main competitor Nancy Lynch's Distributed Algorithms.

It uses very intuitive pseudocode and the algorthimic analysis and proofs are quite intuitive and easier to understand.

My complaints: The coverage in a few areas like consensus are not nearly as comprehensive as Nancy Lynch's. Also, Tel covers algorithms for asynchronous systems mostly and synchronous systems, but Nancy Lynch covers partially synchronous systems as well.

I recommend Gerard Tel's book which costs less and has a deeper and broader topic coverage. For balance you need both books if you can afford them (and indeed Vijay Garg's Elemenets of Distributed Computing as well). Vijay Garg's new book - Concurrent and Distributed Computing in Java would be the best for you if your focus is distributed software development as opposed to algorithmic computing.

For coverage of distributed systems principles, design and architecture I recommend one of the 3 'Distributed Systems' books by Courolis OR Andrew Tanenbaum OR Sape Mullender.

2.0 out of 5 stars This book is not for beginner, November 25, 2011

By 

Kira - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to Distributed Algorithms (Paperback)

I don't have a background of distributed computing before. I chose this book because it is available on library for borrowing. In general, big disappointed.

The good of this book is the pseudo codes were re-written by the author to make it more readable, but that's all the good I can find for this book. I think this book is not for beginners because it is just a collection of papers. The author presents the materials almost the same way as the original papers, which make it very hard for beginners to understand . For every topic, I need to read several times to get the ideas. After reading 1/3 of this book, I switch to Lynch's book.

11 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars translation, May 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Introduction to Distributed Algorithms (Paperback)

Je trouve à M. Tel le maître des algorithmes distribués. Les concepts sont précis et bien documentés. Le livre est très complet, très claire et on peut trouver une extense bibliographie sur le sujet.

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I find the author to be a master of distributed algorithms. The concepts were precise and well written. The book is very complete, very clear and you'll find in it an extensive coverage on the the subject.
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