The Impact of Incomplete Information on Games in Parallel Relay Networks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how incomplete information about channel states affects incentives for node cooperation in parallel relay networks, quantifying the resulting efficiency loss due to strategic selfish behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a framework to analyze the impact of incomplete information on cooperation incentives and quantifies the efficiency loss in relay networks.

Findings

Incomplete information leads to significant efficiency loss in relay networks.

The framework quantifies the inefficiency caused by strategic selfish nodes.

Different bargaining relationships influence the degree of efficiency loss.

Abstract

We consider the impact of incomplete information on incentives for node cooperation in parallel relay networks with one source node, one destination node, and multiple relay nodes. All nodes are selfish and strategic, interested in maximizing their own profit instead of the social welfare. We consider the practical situation where the channel state on any given relay path is not observable to the source or to the other relays. We examine different bargaining relationships between the source and the relays, and propose a framework for analyzing the efficiency loss induced by incomplete information. We analyze the source of the efficiency loss, and quantify the amount of inefficiency which results.