This project aims at developing a formal methodology for analyzing channel-aware random access in wireless networks. The unique features of this effort include: the development of models that incorporate, amongst other parameters, channel state as a central aspect of their formulation, and the use of cross-cutting tools to analyze the performance of such networks. The mathematical backbone from which the model and resulting solutions arise in this project are optimization and game theory. The specific results that will emerge during the course of this effort include: models that merge channel awareness and capture, a better understanding of the use of opportunism in random access, and finally, an understanding of the ways in which degrees of freedom can be allocated in multiple-antenna random access.
The impact of the underlying physical medium on the performance of access schemes can be considerable, particularly in wireless settings where the channel is highly dynamic and is impacted by myriad changes in the surrounding environment. Thus, a succinct representation of the physical medium combined with sophisticated analytical techniques to tackle the resulting models are essential to tap into the gains resulting from the use of channel-awareness in random access.
