Randomization Collapses the Idle-Start Memory Barrier for Anonymous Dynamic Broadcast

We study stabilizing broadcast in anonymous, port-indistinguishable, synchronous, 1-interval-connected dynamic networks. For deterministic idle-start algorithms, prior work establishes a superconstant local-memory lower bound, while the Countdown algorithm uses O(log n) memory. We show that private randomization changes the idle-start picture qualitatively. Our protocol, Bernoulli Reactivation Flooding (BRF), uses exactly two persistent protocol states in the standard broadcast abstraction, one non-silent message symbol, and no knowledge of n. It is Las Vegas: it never stabilizes before every node is informed, stabilizes almost surely, and has finite expected stabilization time. Thus private-coin randomized idle-start stabilizing broadcast admits a one-bit control-memory upper bound, in contrast with the known deterministic superconstant lower bound. For fair-coin BRF against the causal state-adaptive topology adversary defined in the paper, the worst-case expected stabilization time satisfies E[T] ~ c0 2^{n(n+1)/2}, where c0 = product_{r>=1}(1-2^{-r}) ≈ 0.288788095. The result concerns stabilizing termination, not termination detection, and does not claim that one bit is the randomized minimum. Preprint v1.0.0. Not peer reviewed.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-09-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22643896
Primary Topic
Distributed systems and fault tolerance
Type
preprint
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preprint

Randomization Collapses the Idle-Start Memory Barrier for Anonymous Dynamic Broadcast

Ryutaro Yonezu
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Distributed systems and fault tolerance
preprint

Randomization Collapses the Idle-Start Memory Barrier for Anonymous Dynamic Broadcast

Ryutaro Yonezu
preprint en

Abstract

We study stabilizing broadcast in anonymous, port-indistinguishable, synchronous, 1-interval-connected dynamic networks. For deterministic idle-start algorithms, prior work establishes a superconstant local-memory lower bound, while the Countdown algorithm uses O(log n) memory. We show that private randomization changes the idle-start picture qualitatively. Our protocol, Bernoulli Reactivation Flooding (BRF), uses exactly two persistent protocol states in the standard broadcast abstraction, one non-silent message symbol, and no knowledge of n. It is Las Vegas: it never stabilizes before every node is informed, stabilizes almost surely, and has finite expected stabilization time. Thus private-coin randomized idle-start stabilizing broadcast admits a one-bit control-memory upper bound, in contrast with the known deterministic superconstant lower bound. For fair-coin BRF against the causal state-adaptive topology adversary defined in the paper, the worst-case expected stabilization time satisfies E[T] ~ c0 2^{n(n+1)/2}, where c0 = product_{r>=1}(1-2^{-r}) ≈ 0.288788095. The result concerns stabilizing termination, not termination detection, and does not claim that one bit is the randomized minimum. Preprint v1.0.0. Not peer reviewed.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Distributed systems and fault tolerance
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Randomization Collapses the Idle-Start Memory Barrier for Anonymous Dynamic Broadcast — Ryutaro Yonezu · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS