Overlay Network

Overlay networks are supplemental communication structures built atop existing networks to optimize specific tasks, such as efficient data routing or collaborative machine learning. Current research focuses on designing these networks using diverse approaches, including biologically-inspired algorithms (like those mimicking the Physarum network), auction-based methods for path planning, and deep generative models for handling uncertainty in design and fabrication. These advancements aim to improve network performance metrics like travel time and convergence speed, with applications ranging from urban transportation planning to decentralized federated learning, ultimately enhancing the efficiency and robustness of various distributed systems.