Wireless technology has become indispensible in today?s world. However, jamming attacks are a prominent problem, resulting in loss of network availability, increased latency and reduced throughput due to significant deterioration of link quality. The interplay between users and jammers is a natural fit for game-theoretic analysis which provides strategic solutions to the jamming problem and allows us to study the extent to which jammers affect the stability and welfare of the wireless network.
This project models the impact of local jammers on higher level network functions such as traffic flows and congestion. The PIs provide formulations and solve zero-sum and other games at physical and network layers that reflect appropriate utility/cost functions, jammer and transceiver resource constraints and common knowledge (e.g. side information about channel conditions). Leveraging metrics from algorithmic game theory, such as the price of stability/anarchy, novel metrics and analytical techniques will be developed that measure the impact of jamming such as the Price of Jamming, which measures how much worse equilibria can get when jammers are involved. The PIs also examine the existence of networks, games and utility functions which lead to paradoxical situations (Paradox of Jamming), where jammers may actually improve the welfare of the system. Thus, this work will provide broad insights into determining the extent of jamming damage in wireless networks and also to design appropriate anti-jamming mechanisms. The outcomes of this research will be disseminated through publications, talks, and courses. Traditionally underrepresented minority students in the PIs research groups will actively participate in this research.
