131,485 research outputs found
A cooperative location game based on the 1-center location problem
In this paper we introduce and analyze new classes of cooperative games related to facility location models defined on general metric spaces. The players are the customers (demand points) in the location problem and the characteristic value of a coalition is the cost of serving its members. Specifically, the cost in our games is the service radius of the coalition. We call these games the Minimum Radius Location Games (MRLG). We study the existence of core allocations and the existence of polynomial representations of the cores of these games, focusing on network spaces, i.e., finite metric spaces induced by undirected graphs and positive edge lengths, and on the ¿ p metric spaces defined over R d. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The research of the authors is partially supported by Spanish grants MTM2007-67433, MTM2010-19576-C02-01 and Junta Andalucia/FEDER grant FQM-5849.Puerto Albandoz, J.; Tamir, A.; Perea Rojas Marcos, F. (2011). A cooperative location game based on the 1-center location problem. European Journal of Operational Research. 214(2):317-330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2011.04.020S317330214
Coalitional Games for Distributed Collaborative Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radio Networks
Collaborative spectrum sensing among secondary users (SUs) in cognitive
networks is shown to yield a significant performance improvement. However,
there exists an inherent trade off between the gains in terms of probability of
detection of the primary user (PU) and the costs in terms of false alarm
probability. In this paper, we study the impact of this trade off on the
topology and the dynamics of a network of SUs seeking to reduce the
interference on the PU through collaborative sensing. Moreover, while existing
literature mainly focused on centralized solutions for collaborative sensing,
we propose distributed collaboration strategies through game theory. We model
the problem as a non-transferable coalitional game, and propose a distributed
algorithm for coalition formation through simple merge and split rules. Through
the proposed algorithm, SUs can autonomously collaborate and self-organize into
disjoint independent coalitions, while maximizing their detection probability
taking into account the cooperation costs (in terms of false alarm). We study
the stability of the resulting network structure, and show that a maximum
number of SUs per formed coalition exists for the proposed utility model.
Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm allows a reduction of up to
86.6% of the average missing probability per SU (probability of missing the
detection of the PU) relative to the non-cooperative case, while maintaining a
certain false alarm level. In addition, through simulations, we compare the
performance of the proposed distributed solution with respect to an optimal
centralized solution that minimizes the average missing probability per SU.
Finally, the results also show how the proposed algorithm autonomously adapts
the network topology to environmental changes such as mobility.Comment: in proceedings of IEEE INFOCOM 200
Coalition Formation Games for Collaborative Spectrum Sensing
Collaborative Spectrum Sensing (CSS) between secondary users (SUs) in
cognitive networks exhibits an inherent tradeoff between minimizing the
probability of missing the detection of the primary user (PU) and maintaining a
reasonable false alarm probability (e.g., for maintaining a good spectrum
utilization). In this paper, we study the impact of this tradeoff on the
network structure and the cooperative incentives of the SUs that seek to
cooperate for improving their detection performance. We model the CSS problem
as a non-transferable coalitional game, and we propose distributed algorithms
for coalition formation. First, we construct a distributed coalition formation
(CF) algorithm that allows the SUs to self-organize into disjoint coalitions
while accounting for the CSS tradeoff. Then, the CF algorithm is complemented
with a coalitional voting game for enabling distributed coalition formation
with detection probability guarantees (CF-PD) when required by the PU. The
CF-PD algorithm allows the SUs to form minimal winning coalitions (MWCs), i.e.,
coalitions that achieve the target detection probability with minimal costs.
For both algorithms, we study and prove various properties pertaining to
network structure, adaptation to mobility and stability. Simulation results
show that CF reduces the average probability of miss per SU up to 88.45%
relative to the non-cooperative case, while maintaining a desired false alarm.
For CF-PD, the results show that up to 87.25% of the SUs achieve the required
detection probability through MWCComment: IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, to appea
Coordination of Mobile Mules via Facility Location Strategies
In this paper, we study the problem of wireless sensor network (WSN)
maintenance using mobile entities called mules. The mules are deployed in the
area of the WSN in such a way that would minimize the time it takes them to
reach a failed sensor and fix it. The mules must constantly optimize their
collective deployment to account for occupied mules. The objective is to define
the optimal deployment and task allocation strategy for the mules, so that the
sensors' downtime and the mules' traveling distance are minimized. Our
solutions are inspired by research in the field of computational geometry and
the design of our algorithms is based on state of the art approximation
algorithms for the classical problem of facility location. Our empirical
results demonstrate how cooperation enhances the team's performance, and
indicate that a combination of k-Median based deployment with closest-available
task allocation provides the best results in terms of minimizing the sensors'
downtime but is inefficient in terms of the mules' travel distance. A
k-Centroid based deployment produces good results in both criteria.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, conferenc
The effect of (non-)competing brokers on the quality and price of differentiated internet services
Price war, as an important factor in undercutting competitors and attracting customers, has spurred considerable work that analyzes such conflict situation. However, in most of these studies, quality of service (QoS), as an important decision-making criterion, has been neglected. Furthermore, with the rise of service-oriented architectures, where players may offer different levels of QoS for different prices, more studies are needed to examine the interaction among players within the service hierarchy. In this paper, we present a new approach to modeling price competition in (virtualized) service-oriented architectures, where there are multiple service levels. In our model, brokers, as intermediaries between end-users and service providers, offer different QoS by adapting the service that they obtain from lower-level providers so as to match the demands of their clients to the services of providers. To maximize profit, players, i.e. providers and brokers, at each level compete in a Bertrand game while they offer different QoS. To maintain an oligopoly market, we then describe underlying dynamics which lead to a Bertrand game with price constraints at the providers’ level. We also study cooperation among a subset of brokers. Numerical simulations demonstrate the behavior of brokers and providers and the effect of price competition on their market shares.Accepted manuscrip
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