Accurate Approximation of Error Probability on MIMO Channels and its Application to Adaptive Modulation and Antenna Selection

A new approximation for the conditional error probability on quasi-static multiple antenna (MIMO) channels is proposed. For a fixed channel matrix, it is possible to predict the performance of quadrature-amplitude modulations (QAM) transmitted over the MIMO channel in presence of additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). The tight approximation is based on a simple union bound for the point error probability in the n-dimensional real space. A Pohst or a Schnorr-Euchner lattice enumeration is used to limit the local Theta series inside a finite radius sphere. As applications to this approximation, we describe a new adaptive QAM modulation and a new antenna selection criterion