Cooperation under Competition: System implications for DSA and computing systems

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

Many infrastructure industries have made the transition from private ownership to utility, often through intermediate stages. It is believed that computing is in the midst of this transition today. The PIs believe that wireless-based systems will follow the same route in time. This path promises to alleviate the spectrum bottlenecks that plague emergent wireless applications. For this to occur, technological advances must take place that elicit cooperative behavior from firms that also compete with each other. These advances must leverage advances in radio system design, including cognitive radios. Relying heavily on system design methodologies and agent-based simulation modeling, this research explores the relationships between cooperation, competition and the implementation mechanisms, including system architectures and protocol design, especially where agents optimize locally. Particular attention is paid to the scalability of different approaches to large numbers of devices and heterogeneous uses. In the application to wireless systems, the research pays particular attention to ways in which transmission opportunities (called spectrum holes) may be created. These outcomes will enable easier access to wireless connectivity to emergent applications, thus enabling application designers to build services with explicit quality expectations for their users. Realistic models are constructed so that the mechanisms for spectrum hole generation and their use through protocols can be evaluated. The results will be published in major communications conferences and journals, and the development of pilot applications will be encouraged.