{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T17:49:42Z","timestamp":1792086582126,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792022400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In a mobile ad-hoc network, it has been observed that the existing weighted clustering algorithm induces high computational overhead on the mobile nodes in the cluster-head election process and distributes the load among the cluster-heads unfairly. Also, the cluster maintenance cost is very high due to the expiration or movement of the cluster-head. The purpose of this work is to mitigate the weaknesses of the existing weight-based clustering algorithm. The proposed \u201cMarking-based Load Balancing Weighted Clustering Framework for Mobile ADHOC Network (MLWCM)\u201d marks the weak nodes before the beginning of the election process and spares them from massive weight calculation, thus saving the scarce resources of the network. The concept of inmate affiliation reduces the maintenance cost considerably. To ensure fair load distribution among the cluster-heads, a handling factor has been computed, which is the number of nodes that a cluster-head can handle based on its available battery power. Also, to minimize the maintenance cost, a new event called inmate affiliation has been introduced. The simulation outcome reveals that the proposed framework outperforms the existing weighted clustering algorithm. MLWCM produces healthier and more stable cluster-heads. The number of members is fairly assigned to cluster-heads. Inmate affiliation allows a displaced node to get attached to an available nearby cluster silently, without inducing clustering in the complete network, which results in lower maintenance costs. Obtained results: By the simulation, it has been revealed that the MLWCM yields healthy cluster-heads in terms of battery power at a low computational cost, hence prolonging the life of the network and enabling efficient routing in the mobile ad-hoc network. For the proposed framework, MLWCM, the average battery life of the cluster-head is 73.8%, whereas for the existing WCA, the average battery life is 41.8%; hence, MLWCM enhances the stability of the network.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0360099","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T17:31:07Z","timestamp":1792085467000},"page":"e0360099","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Marking-based load balancing Weighted Clustering Framework for Mobile ADHOC Network"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Prashant","family":"Dixit","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Galgotias University","place":["Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India"],"department":["School of Computer Science and Engineering"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1573-1386","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sonia","family":"Setia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Galgotias University","place":["Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India"],"department":["School of Computer Science and Engineering"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ramesh Chandra","family":"Sahoo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MRIIRS","place":["Faridabad, India"],"department":["Department of CSE"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manish","family":"Sharma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Electronics and Communication Engineering, Galgotias University","place":["Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India"],"department":["Department of Electrical"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9867-4382","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sameena","family":"Pathan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education","place":["Manipal, Karnataka, India"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0360099.ref001","volume-title":"AD HOC WIRELESS NETWORKS Architecture and Protocols","author":"C Siva Ram Murthy","year":"2014"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kahn JM, Katz RH, Pister KSJ. Mobile Networking for \u2018Smart Dust\u2019. In: Proceedings of the 5th IEEE\/ACM MOBICOM. 1999;271\u20138.","DOI":"10.1145\/313451.313558"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref003","first-page":"234","article-title":"Highly dynamic destination sequenced distance-vector routing (DSDV) for mobile computers","author":"C Perkins","year":"1994","journal-title":"Computer Commun"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref004","first-page":"90","author":"CE Perkins","year":"1999"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0360099.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"388","DOI":"10.1109\/18.825799","article-title":"The capacity of wireless networks","volume":"46","author":"P Gupta","year":"2000","journal-title":"IEEE Trans Inform Theory"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1109\/MNET.2002.1020231","article-title":"Scalable Routing Protocols for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks","author":"XY Hong","year":"2002","journal-title":"IEEE Network"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0360099.ref007","first-page":"1","article-title":"A survey of clustering schemes for mobile ad hoc networks","volume":"7","author":"JY Yu","year":"2005","journal-title":"IEEE Communications Surveys"},{"issue":"41","key":"pone.0360099.ref008","first-page":"145","article-title":"Survey of clustering techniques for mobile ad hoc networks","author":"BA Correa","year":"2014","journal-title":"RevFacIngUnivAntioquia"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref009","first-page":"195","author":"AB Bondi","year":"2000"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref010","first-page":"25","author":"AD Amis","year":"2000"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0360099.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1287","DOI":"10.1109\/TMC.2011.151","article-title":"Game-Theoretic Analysis of Cooperation Incentive Strategies in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks","volume":"11","author":"Z Li","year":"2012","journal-title":"IEEE Trans on Mobile Comput"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref012","volume-title":"Ad Hoc Networking","author":"CE Perkins","year":"2001"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0360099.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"515","DOI":"10.1002\/wcm.74","article-title":"Hierarchical Routing in Ad Hoc Mobile Networks","volume":"2","author":"EM Belding-Royer","year":"2002","journal-title":"Wireless Commun and Mobile Comp"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0360099.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1201","DOI":"10.1109\/49.932689","article-title":"A access-based clustering protocol for multihop wireless ad hoc networks","volume":"19","author":"Hou Ting-Chao","year":"2001","journal-title":"IEEE J Select Areas Commun"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref015","first-page":"250","author":"UC Kozat"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0360099.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1466","DOI":"10.1109\/49.780353","article-title":"A mobility-based framework for adaptive clustering in wireless ad hoc networks","volume":"17","author":"AB McDonald","year":"1999","journal-title":"IEEE J Select Areas Commun"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0360099.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.3844\/jcssp.2008.192.204","article-title":"Performance analysis of clustering protocols in mobile ad hoc networks","volume":"4","author":"SJ Francis","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Computer Sci"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fathi A, Taheri H. Enhance Topology Control Protocol (ECEC) to Conserve Energy Based Clustering in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks. 3rd IEEE ICCSIT. 2010.","DOI":"10.1109\/ICCSIT.2010.5564463"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref019","article-title":"An Efficient Weight-Based Clustering Algorithm for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks","volume":"3","author":"MR Monsef","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Computing"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0360099.ref020","article-title":"Cluster based on demand routing protocol for mobile ad hoc network","volume":"1","author":"N Gupta","year":"2012","journal-title":"IJERT"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0360099.ref021","first-page":"824","article-title":"Stable and flexible weight based clustering algorithm in mobile ad hoc networks","volume":"2","author":"R Pandi Selvam","year":"2011","journal-title":"International J Comput Sci Information Technol"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"709","DOI":"10.7763\/IJCEE.2010.V2.216","article-title":"A Dynamic Clustering Algorithm for MANETs by modifying Weighted Clustering Algorithm with Mobility Prediction","author":"S Muthuramalingam","year":"2010","journal-title":"IJCEE"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0360099.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"759","DOI":"10.1002\/wcm.627","article-title":"Stability\u2010aware multi\u2010metric clustering in mobile ad hoc networks with group mobility","volume":"9","author":"H Cheng","year":"2008","journal-title":"Wireless Communications"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0360099.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s13638-017-0832-4","article-title":"An optimized stable clustering algorithm for mobile ad hoc networks","volume":"2017","author":"S Pathak","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Wireless Com Network"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref025","first-page":"1","author":"J Jabari Lotf","year":"2008"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"432952","DOI":"10.1155\/2014\/432952","article-title":"A novel clustering algorithm for mobile ad hoc networks based on determination of virtual links\u2019 weight to increase network stability","volume":"2014","author":"A Karimi","year":"2014","journal-title":"ScientificWorldJournal"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procs.2014.05.421","article-title":"Quality of clustering in mobile Ad Hoc networks","volume":"32","author":"M Aissa","year":"2014","journal-title":"Procedia Computer Science"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0360099.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01200845","article-title":"Multicluster, mobile, multimedia radio network","volume":"1","author":"M Gerla","year":"1995","journal-title":"Wireless Netw"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref029","unstructured":"Parekh A. Selecting routers in ad hoc wireless networks. In: Proceedings of the SBT\/IEEE International Telecommunications Symposium. 1994."},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref030","first-page":"2450","author":"Chen Geng"},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref031","unstructured":"Chiang C-C, et al. Routing in clustered multihop, mobile wireless networks with fading channel. In: Proc. IEEE SICON\u201997, 1997."},{"key":"pone.0360099.ref032","first-page":"318","author":"JY Yu","year":"2003"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0360099.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1013941929408","article-title":"WCA: A weighted clustering algorithm for mobile Ad Hoc networks","volume":"5","author":"M Chatterjee","year":"2002","journal-title":"Cluster Computing"},{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0360099.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30047","DOI":"10.1109\/JSEN.2025.3582381","article-title":"Hybrid energy-efficient clustering with reinforcement learning for IoT-WSNs Using Knapsack and K -Means","volume":"25","author":"A Aleem","year":"2025","journal-title":"IEEE Sensors J"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0360099.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22089","DOI":"10.48084\/etasr.9408","article-title":"Optimized energy-efficient knapsack algorithm for intelligent cluster head selection in wireless sensor networks","volume":"15","author":"A Aleem","year":"2025","journal-title":"Eng Technol Appl Sci Res"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0360099","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T17:31:13Z","timestamp":1792085473000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0360099"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Rajesh","family":"Thumma","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Anurag University","place":["INDIA"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0360099","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]]}}}