Multi-Level Coding in Multi-Node Networks: A Pragmatic Approach to Capacity Limits

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Network information theory in the last decade has made strides in characterizing or approximating the fundamental limits of communication in networks. At the same time, in the physical layer, developments such as coordinated multipoint (CoMP) or Cloud Radio Networks (Cloud-RAN) demonstrate an evolution toward multi-node building blocks. Even so, tools and techniques of information theory have yet to be fully and gainfully translated to practical coding and modulation techniques for many multi-node scenarios. This project is informed in part by recent developments in information theory indicating that a multi-level approximation to the physical channel has a capacity that is within a small SNR-independent gap to the capacity of the physical channel. Supported by preliminary results, this research is based on the hypothesis that a similar multi-level decomposition is a sound and fruitful approach for the design of high-performance coded modulations for multi-terminal networks. Research tasks investigate the proposed methodology to produce efficient coded modulation architectures for a variety of multi-terminal networks.