Rate-Achieving Policy in Finite-Horizon Throughput Region for Multi-User Interference Channels

TL;DR

This paper investigates the finite-horizon throughput region in multi-user interference channels, providing an efficient algorithm for rate-achieving policies and highlighting limitations of existing infinite-horizon methods.

Contribution

It introduces a novel algorithm using A* search to determine achievable rates over finite horizons and characterizes the rate-achieving policies, filling a gap in existing throughput region analysis.

Findings

The algorithm efficiently determines rate achievability in finite-horizon scenarios.

Max-weight algorithm fails to find all achievable rates in finite-horizon throughput regions.

The proposed method outperforms previous approaches for finite-horizon throughput analysis.

Abstract

This paper studies a wireless network consisting of multiple transmitter-receiver pairs sharing the same spectrum where interference is regarded as noise. Previously, the throughput region of such a network was characterized for either one time slot or an infinite time horizon. This work aims to close the gap by investigating the throughput region for transmissions over a finite time horizon. We derive an efficient algorithm to examine the achievability of any given rate in the finite-horizon throughput region and provide the rate-achieving policy. The computational efficiency of our algorithm comes from the use of A* search with a carefully chosen heuristic function and a tree pruning strategy. We also show that the celebrated max-weight algorithm which finds all achievable rates in the infinite-horizon throughput region fails to work for the finite-horizon throughput region.