Scheduling transmissions in wireless ad-hoc networks with time-varying topologies

Abstract

In wireless ad-hoc networks, signal interference and collisions from simultaneous transmissions of neighboring nodes significantly degrade throughput. Hence, it is necessary to devise scheduling policies for coordinating wireless transmissions. In this thesis, we focus on maximum stable throughput scheduling in mobile, finite node, wireless ad-hoc networks, whose topology changes according to a stationary and ergodic process. In particular, we study the i.i.d topology case, and we extend our results to the more general case of Markov and Hidden Markov topology processes. Initially, we introduce a centralized stationary scheduling rule and then prove that it maximizes the stable throughput the network can sustain. Finally, we show through simulations that mobility of the nodes may considerably improve the network throughput and plot the corresponding results through a Monte Carlo method.