CAREER: Wireless network simplification: using the necessary and no more

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this project is to develop a fundamental framework for simplifying wireless networks by extracting small sub-networks that provably preserve a large fraction of the entire capacity. Recent results in information theory show that optimal cooperation of a large number of wireless devices can achieve large gains in capacity. In practice, however, optimally operating many distributed devices is notoriously difficult and current cooperative techniques are limited to the use of few relays and suboptimal strategies. This project aims to bridge this divide by building on the observation that most networks can be greatly simplified through a better understanding of the inherent correlations between signals carried by different relays. It builds an information-theoretic understanding of why, how and by how much to simplify wireless networks and develops efficient simplification algorithms and low-complexity codes that approximately achieve capacity. Intellectual merit: The intellectual merit of the project lies in its transformative approach to the way wireless networks are studied today. Instead of focusing on a single number, the network capacity, it clarifies how information propagates through a wireless network, revealing the significance of individual relays. The study explores the rich set of connections to combinatorial optimization. Broader impacts: The broad goal of the project is to bridge the large disconnect between the current theory and practice of wireless relay networks by removing the complexity barrier via network simplification. The project aims to transform the way relaying is currently done in practice, allowing for significantly higher rates and smaller energy consumption.