Wireless networking and resource allocation are general strategies to utilize the limited wireless radio resources, control the co-channel interferences, and enhance the network performances. To reduce the overhead imposed by such strategies, the mobiles of the next generation networks have their own autonomies for resource allocation in a distributive way. However, the non-cooperative competition of the radio resources results in low system efficiency and unfairness. So how to ensure cooperation and fairness among autonomous users is one of the most important wireless networking research topics. In this talk, we target on using game theoretical approaches.

First, for single cell OFDMA resource allocation, a mixed constrained optimization problem has been well-formulated. Current solutions include relaxation to programming, Hungarian method, and two-step heuristics. A new bargaining game theoretic approach will be discussed. The soul is that the users can negotiate to exchange the subcarriers so that mutual benefits can be obtained. The solution is based on integer domain but has simple complexity. The bargaining idea has been extended to cognitive radios, dynamic spectrum access, Mesh networks and video transmission.

Second, in wireless packet-forwarding networks with selfish nodes, application of a repeated game can induce the nodes to forward each others' packets, so that the network performance can be improved. However, the nodes on the boundary of such networks cannot benefit from this strategy, as the other nodes do not depend on them. This problem is sometimes known as the curse of the boundary nodes. To overcome this problem, an approach based on coalition games is proposed, in which the boundary nodes can use cooperative transmission to help the backbone nodes in the middle of the network. In return, the backbone nodes are willing to forward the boundary nodes' packets.

Finally, some other approaches, such as mechanism design for relay section, physical layer security, and cognitive radios, are briefly discussed.

Host: Ashu Sabharwal

Biography of Zhu Han:
Dr. Zhu Han received the B.S. degree in electronic engineering from Tsinghua University, in 1997, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1999 and 2003, respectively. From 2000 to 2002, he is an R&D Engineer of JDSU, Germantown, Maryland. From 2006 to 2008, he is an assistant Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Boise State University, Idaho. Since fall semester 2008, he will join Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Houston, Texas. In June-August 2006, he was a visiting scholar in Princeton University. In May-August 2007, he was a visiting professor in Stanford University. In summer 2008, he was a visiting professor in UNIK of University of Oslo, Norway and Supelec, Paris, France.