Performance Analysis and Mitigation Techniques of Ant Colony Optimization Based Routing Protocol in Mobile Adhoc Network(Manet)

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) are decentralized wireless networks where mobile nodes communicate without fixed infrastructure. Due to dynamic topology and limited resources, routing becomes a major challenge in MANET environments. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), inspired by the foraging behavior of ants, provides an adaptive and distributed solution for routing problems. This paper proposes an ACO-based routing algorithm for MANETs that improves route discovery and path optimization. Artificial ants explore the network and update routing tables using pheromone trails. Simulation results show improved packet delivery ratio, reduced delay, and higher throughput compared to traditional routing protocols.