Correlation, Cooperation and Feedback (CCF) in Multi-user Wireless Communications

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Correlated data arises for many reasons in wireless communications: it may arise naturally due to the correlation in the observed data, as in sensor networks, or it may be created artificially by the communication protocol in order to improve the rates, as in user cooperation and feedback. In the first case, correlation is external to the system, whereas in the second case, correlation is created internally as part of the communication protocol in an effort to optimize the overall performance of the system. Efficient handling of correlation is critical for the optimal design and operation of current and future wireless ad-hoc and sensor networks. Yet, what is known and settled in this field is extremely limited.The goal of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding and a comprehensive theory for optimum distributed coding, transmission, creation and exploitation of correlation in multi-user wireless networks. In order to achieve this goal, the investigator will distill the main theoretical challenges, initially isolate and tackle them in smaller sub-problems, and then finally integrate them to develop a unified theory. To that end, the project consists of three major thrusts: (i) development of a fundamental understanding for the optimum distributed coding and transmission of correlated data, when the source of correlation is external, and without allowing for the creation of internal correlation via relaying, cooperation or feedback; (ii) development of a fundamental understanding for the creation and then utilization of correlation internally as part of the communication protocol in order to improve the rates, e.g., through relaying, cooperation and feedback, when there is no correlation in the external data; (iii) development of a fundamental understanding for the interactions and the optimum interplay between the external correlation in the data and the internal correlation created as part of the communication protocol through relaying, cooperation and feedback.