Minimizing the peak-to-average power ratio of OFDM signals via convex optimization

Efficient OFDM transmission has been limited by power amplifier (PA) non-linearity combined with OFDM´s high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). We show that minimization of the PAPR of an OFDM signal, subject to constraints on allowable constellation error and out-of-band noise, can be formulated as a convex optimization problem. The globally optimal solution can be calculated with low complexity using known algorithms. A system model is proposed for transmitting OFDM signals with maximum power-efficiency regardless of PA linearity. No change in receiver structure is required. Simulation results are presented for the 802.11a WLAN standard.