Network Formation Games for Distributed Uplink Tree Construction in IEEE 802.16j Networks

Walid Saad (1) , Zhu Han (2) , Are Hjorungnes (1) , Merouane Debbah (3)

1 UiO - University of Oslo
2 Boise State University
3 SUPELEC-Campus Gif

This paper investigates the problem of the formation of the uplink tree structure among the mobile multi-hop relay (MMR) network's base station (MMR-BS) and its different relay stations (RSs). We model the problem as a network formation game in which the RSs want to form a directed tree graph to improve their utility in terms of the Packet Success Rate (PSR) by using multi-hop cooperative transmission while accounting for a link maintenance cost. In this game, the relay stations engage in bilateral negotiations which result in a contractual agreement to form a directed link between each pair. For network dynamics, we propose a myopic algorithm based on the local best responses of the RSs that converges to a local Nash network. Moreover, the proposed dynamics algorithm allows the RSs to autonomously adapt the network topology to changes in the environment due to mobility or to the presence of heterogeneous traffic. Simulations results show how the RSs can self-organize in a tree structure while improving the network's overall PSR up to 17:5% and 15:6% compared, respectively, to the cases where no RSs exist and where the RSs are directly connected to the MMR-BS.

Domains: Computer Science [cs]; Networking and Internet Architecture [cs.NI]

Walid Saad, Zhu Han, Are Hjorungnes, Merouane Debbah. Network Formation Games for Distributed Uplink Tree Construction in IEEE 802.16j Networks. IEEE GLOBECOM 2008, Nov 2008, United States. 6 p. ⟨hal-00328155⟩