Performance Rescaling of Complex Networks

Recent progress in network topology modeling [1], [2] has shown that it is possible to create smaller-scale replicas of large complex networks, like the Internet, while simultaneously preserving several important topological properties. However, the constructed replicas do not include notions of capacities and latencies, and the fundamental question of whether smaller networks can reproduce the performance of larger networks remains unanswered. We address this question in this letter, and show that it is possible to predict the performance of larger networks from smaller replicas, as long as the right link capacities and propagation delays are assigned to the replica's links. Our procedure is inspired by techniques introduced in [2] and combines a time-downscaling argument from [3]. We show that significant computational savings can be achieved when simulating smaller-scale replicas with TCP and UDP traffic, with simulation times being reduced by up to two orders of magnitude.Comment: To appear in IEEE Communications Letter

Outage Analysis of Full-Duplex Architectures in Cellular Networks

The implementation of full-duplex (FD) radio in wireless communications is a potential approach for achieving higher spectral efficiency. A possible application is its employment in the next generation of cellular networks. However, the performance of large-scale FD multiuser networks is an area mostly unexplored. Most of the related work focuses on the performance analysis of small-scale networks or on loop interference cancellation schemes. In this paper, we derive the outage probability performance of large-scale FD cellular networks in the context of two architectures: two-node and three-node. We show how the performance is affected with respect to the model's parameters and provide a comparison between the two architectures.Comment: to appear in Proc. IEEE VTC 2015 Spring, Glasgo

Passive Loop Interference Suppression in Large-Scale Full-Duplex Cellular Networks

Loop interference (LI) in wireless communications, is a notion resulting from the full-duplex (FD) operation. In a large-scale network, FD also increases the multiuser interference due to the large number of active wireless links that exist. Hence, in order to realize the FD potentials, this interference needs to be restricted. This paper presents a stochastic geometry model of FD cellular networks where the users and base stations employ directional antennas. Based on previous experimental results, we model the passive suppression of the LI at each FD terminal as a function of the angle between the two antennas and show the significant gains that can be achieved by this method. Together with the reduction of multiuser interference resulting from antenna directionality, our model demonstrates that FD can potentially be implemented in large-scale directional networks.Comment: to appear in Proc. IEEE SPAWC 201

On the Complexity of Dynamic Mechanism Design

We introduce a dynamic mechanism design problem in which the designer wants to offer for sale an item to an agent, and another item to the same agent at some point in the future. The agent's joint distribution of valuations for the two items is known, and the agent knows the valuation for the current item (but not for the one in the future). The designer seeks to maximize expected revenue, and the auction must be deterministic, truthful, and ex post individually rational. The optimum mechanism involves a protocol whereby the seller elicits the buyer's current valuation, and based on the bid makes two take-it-or-leave-it offers, one for now and one for the future. We show that finding the optimum deterministic mechanism in this situation - arguably the simplest meaningful dynamic mechanism design problem imaginable - is NP-hard. We also prove several positive results, among them a polynomial linear programming-based algorithm for the optimum randomized auction (even for many bidders and periods), and we show strong separations in revenue between non-adaptive, adaptive, and randomized auctions, even when the valuations in the two periods are uncorrelated. Finally, for the same problem in an environment in which contracts cannot be enforced, and thus perfection of equilibrium is necessary, we show that the optimum randomized mechanism requires multiple rounds of cheap talk-like interactions