Wireless Scheduling with Power Control

We consider the scheduling of arbitrary wireless links in the physical model of interference to minimize the time for satisfying all requests. We study here the combined problem of scheduling and power control, where we seek both an assignment of power settings and a partition of the links so that each set satisfies the signal-to-interference-plus-noise (SINR) constraints. We give an algorithm that attains an approximation ratio of $O(\log n \cdot \log\log \Delta)$, where $n$ is the number of links and $\Delta$ is the ratio between the longest and the shortest link length. Under the natural assumption that lengths are represented in binary, this gives the first approximation ratio that is polylogarithmic in the size of the input. The algorithm has the desirable property of using an oblivious power assignment, where the power assigned to a sender depends only on the length of the link. We give evidence that this dependence on $\Delta$ is unavoidable, showing that any reasonably-behaving oblivious power assignment results in a $\Omega(\log\log \Delta)$-approximation. These results hold also for the (weighted) capacity problem of finding a maximum (weighted) subset of links that can be scheduled in a single time slot. In addition, we obtain improved approximation for a bidirectional variant of the scheduling problem, give partial answers to questions about the utility of graphs for modeling physical interference, and generalize the setting from the standard 2-dimensional Euclidean plane to doubling metrics. Finally, we explore the utility of graph models in capturing wireless interference.Comment: Revised full versio

A Constant-Factor Approximation for Wireless Capacity Maximization with Power Control in the SINR Model

In modern wireless networks, devices are able to set the power for each transmission carried out. Experimental but also theoretical results indicate that such power control can improve the network capacity significantly. We study this problem in the physical interference model using SINR constraints. In the SINR capacity maximization problem, we are given n pairs of senders and receivers, located in a metric space (usually a so-called fading metric). The algorithm shall select a subset of these pairs and choose a power level for each of them with the objective of maximizing the number of simultaneous communications. This is, the selected pairs have to satisfy the SINR constraints with respect to the chosen powers. We present the first algorithm achieving a constant-factor approximation in fading metrics. The best previous results depend on further network parameters such as the ratio of the maximum and the minimum distance between a sender and its receiver. Expressed only in terms of n, they are (trivial) Omega(n) approximations. Our algorithm still achieves an O(log n) approximation if we only assume to have a general metric space rather than a fading metric. Furthermore, by using standard techniques the algorithm can also be used in single-hop and multi-hop scheduling scenarios. Here, we also get polylog(n) approximations.Comment: 17 page

On Wireless Scheduling Using the Mean Power Assignment

In this paper the problem of scheduling with power control in wireless networks is studied: given a set of communication requests, one needs to assign the powers of the network nodes, and schedule the transmissions so that they can be done in a minimum time, taking into account the signal interference of concurrently transmitting nodes. The signal interference is modeled by SINR constraints. Approximation algorithms are given for this problem, which use the mean power assignment. The problem of schduling with fixed mean power assignment is also considered, and approximation guarantees are proven

Beyond Geometry : Towards Fully Realistic Wireless Models

Signal-strength models of wireless communications capture the gradual fading of signals and the additivity of interference. As such, they are closer to reality than other models. However, nearly all theoretic work in the SINR model depends on the assumption of smooth geometric decay, one that is true in free space but is far off in actual environments. The challenge is to model realistic environments, including walls, obstacles, reflections and anisotropic antennas, without making the models algorithmically impractical or analytically intractable. We present a simple solution that allows the modeling of arbitrary static situations by moving from geometry to arbitrary decay spaces. The complexity of a setting is captured by a metricity parameter Z that indicates how far the decay space is from satisfying the triangular inequality. All results that hold in the SINR model in general metrics carry over to decay spaces, with the resulting time complexity and approximation depending on Z in the same way that the original results depends on the path loss term alpha. For distributed algorithms, that to date have appeared to necessarily depend on the planarity, we indicate how they can be adapted to arbitrary decay spaces. Finally, we explore the dependence on Z in the approximability of core problems. In particular, we observe that the capacity maximization problem has exponential upper and lower bounds in terms of Z in general decay spaces. In Euclidean metrics and related growth-bounded decay spaces, the performance depends on the exact metricity definition, with a polynomial upper bound in terms of Z, but an exponential lower bound in terms of a variant parameter phi. On the plane, the upper bound result actually yields the first approximation of a capacity-type SINR problem that is subexponential in alpha

The Price of Local Power Control in Wireless Scheduling

We consider the problem of scheduling wireless links in the physical model, where we seek an assignment of power levels and a partition of the given set of links into the minimum number of subsets satisfying the signal-to-interference-and-noise-ratio (SINR) constraints. Specifically, we are interested in the efficiency of local power assignment schemes, or oblivious power schemes, in approximating wireless scheduling. Oblivious power schemes are motivated by networking scenarios when power levels must be decided in advance, and not as part of the scheduling computation. We present the first O(log log Delta)-approximation algorithm, which is known to be best possible (in terms of Delta) for oblivious power schemes, where Delta is the longest to shortest link length ratio. We achieve this by representing interference by a conflict graph, which allows the application of graph-theoretic results for a variety of related problems, including the weighted capacity problem. We explore further the contours of approximability and find the choice of power assignment matters; that not all metric spaces are equal; and that the presence of weak links makes the problem harder. Combined, our results resolve the price of local power for wireless scheduling, or the value of allowing unfettered power control