Wireless multicasting via iterative optimization

A class of wireless multicast utility optimization problems are considered. Assume network utility is only a function of link throughput and nodes´ transmission power. Under a set of physical layer assumptions, the impact of physical and data-link layer configurations to the upper layers in a wireless network can be characterized using a configuration graph. Network layer utility optimization can consequently be carried out via iterations that optimize network layer algorithms over the configuration graph and revise physical, data-link layer configurations to improve the configuration graph. For a class of wireless multicast networks with optimal network coding, the number of point-to-multipoint links involved in network utility optimization is only polynomial, as opposed to exponential, in the number of nodes. This leads to a reduced complexity in exhaustive searching algorithms, such as optimal utility maximization. Consequently, simulations of these algorithms for moderate-sized networks become feasible.