Patent ID: 8250140

Claim:
An apparatus for enabling connections for use with a network, the apparatus comprising: a receiver of at least one vertex of a plurality of vertices in the network, receiving a first message associated with a first vertex, wherein the first message is broadcast to each of the plurality of vertices via a single query, wherein the first message comprises an indication that the first vertex wishes to join the network, wherein each of the plurality of vertices is connected to one or more other vertices of the plurality of vertices by an edge, wherein an edge is a connection of one vertex with another vertex in the plurality of vertices, and wherein the number of edges of a vertex is associated with the processing capability of the vertex; a generator of the at least one vertex, responsive to receipt of the first message, generating a second message associated with the at least one vertex, wherein the second message indicates to the first vertex that the at least one vertex is operable to connect to the first vertex; a probabilistic component of the at least one vertex, determining a first time value associated with transmission of the second message to the first vertex, wherein the first time value is a maximum amount of time to delay before transmitting the second message and is inversely proportional to the number of edges in the network; and in response to determining the amount of time specified in the first time value expiring, a transmitter of the at least one vertex transmitting the second message to the first vertex; wherein the first vertex generates an edge with a fastest responding vertex of the at least one vertex of the plurality of vertices having the associated second message that has a fastest time value associated with receipt.