NeTS:Medium: Throughput Optimization of Cooperative Relaying in Wireless Networks

空间分集在提高无线网络容量和可靠性方面已被证明是非常有效的。然而，为无线节点配备多个天线可能并不总是实际的。 该项目探讨了协作通信（CC），其中每个节点仅配备单个天线，通过利用网络中其他节点上的天线来实现空间分集。虽然近年来对物理层的CC进行了深入的研究，但对Ad Hoc网络中CC的基本理解仍然有限。 这个项目的目标是优化网络级的吞吐量，利用合作中继在物理层。 这个项目的重点是设计网络级算法的分析模型的基础上，合作中继，使网络级吞吐量可以最大化。具体而言，有三个相互依赖的研究重点在这个项目中：（1）在协作中继网络中的网络编码的最佳使用;（2）中继节点的选择吞吐量最大化;（3）在多跳中继网络中的合作的性能限制。这项研究服务于一个关键的需要，在推进合作中继网络的研究开发新的数学工具，研究一些开放的和重要的问题领域。 该项目的成功为建立其理论基础迈出了重要一步。吞吐量优化的研究也导致了新的算法和优化工具的发展，超出了传统的凸优化领域。这个项目的一个重要的教育目标是开发新的跨学科的无线网络课程材料。

Spatial diversity has proved to be very effective in increasing wireless network capacity and reliability. However, equipping a wireless node with multiple antennas may not always be practical. This project explores Cooperative Communications (CC), where each node is only equipped with a single antenna and spatial diversity is achieved by exploiting the antennas on other nodes in the network. Although CC at the physical layer has been under intensive research in recent years, fundamental understanding of CC in ad hoc networks remains limited. The goal of this project is to optimize network level throughput by exploiting cooperative relaying at the physical layer. This project focuses on designing network level algorithms based on analytical models for cooperative relaying such that network level throughput can be maximized. Specifically, there are three inter-dependent research thrusts in this project: (1) optimal use of network coding in cooperative relay networks; (2) relay node selection for throughput maximization; and (3) performance limits of cooperation in multi-hop relay networks. This research serves a critical need in advancing cooperative relay network research by developing new mathematical tools to study some open and important problem areas. The success of this project offers a major step forward in establishing its theoretical foundation. The research on throughput optimization also leads to the development of new algorithmic and optimization tools that are beyond the traditional domain of convex optimization. An important educational objective of this project is to develop new cross-disciplinary course materials for wireless networking.