Architecture for communication with a fidelity criterion in unknown networks

TL;DR

This paper proves that for communicating independent sources over unknown networks within specified distortions, source-channel separation architectures are sufficient, reducing the problem to universal reliable communication over networks.

Contribution

It establishes the sufficiency of source-channel separation architectures for universal communication with fidelity criteria in unknown networks.

Findings

Source-channel separation is sufficient for universal communication.

Reduces the problem to universal reliable communication over networks.

Supports communication within specified distortion levels.

Abstract

We prove that in order to communicate independent sources (this is the unicast problem) between various users over an unknown medium to within various distortion levels, it is sufficient to consider source-channel separation based architectures: architectures which first compress the sources to within the corresponding distortion levels followed by reliable communication over the unknown medium. We are reducing the problem of universal rate-distortion communication of independent sources over a network to the universal reliable communication problem over networks. This is a reductionist view. We are not solving the reliable communication problem in networks.