Optimal distributed scheduling in wireless networks under SINR interference model

Radio resource sharing mechanisms are key to ensuring good performance in wireless networks. In their seminal paper [1], Tassiulas and Ephremides introduced the Maximum Weighted Scheduling algorithm, and proved its throughput-optimality. Since then, there have been extensive research efforts to devise distributed implementations of this algorithm. Recently, distributed adaptive CSMA scheduling schemes [2] have been proposed and shown to be optimal, without the need of message passing among transmitters. However their analysis relies on the assumption that interference can be accurately modelled by a simple interference graph. In this paper, we consider the more realistic and challenging SINR interference model. We present the first distributed scheduling algorithms that (i) are optimal under the SINR interference model, and (ii) that do not require any message passing. They are based on a combination of a simple and efficient power allocation strategy referred to as Power Packing and randomization techniques. These algorithms are rate-optimal in the sense that they perform as well as the best centralized scheduling schemes in scenarios where each transmitter is aware of the rate at which it should send packets to the corresponding receiver. As shown in [3], rate-optimal algorithms can be extended easily so that they reach throughput-optimality.