Advanced Wireless Networks, 3rd Edition

23 Wireless Networks and Matching Theory

In this chapter, we discuss the use of matching theory for resource management in wireless networks. The key solution concepts and algorithmic implementations of this framework are presented. Matching theory can overcome some limitations of game theory and optimization discussed in the previous chapters of the book. It provides mathematically tractable solutions for the combinatorial problem of matching players in two distinct sets [1–5], depending on the individual information and preference of each player. The use of matching theory for wireless resource management provides: (i) tractable models for characterizing interactions between heterogeneous nodes, each of which has its own type, objective, and information; (ii) the ability to define general “preferences” that can handle heterogeneous and complex considerations related to wireless quality of service (QoS); (iii) tractable analysis of stability and optimality, that accurately reflect different system objectives; (iv) efficient implementations.

However, efficient application of the benefits of matching theory for wireless networks requires augmenting this framework to handle their intrinsic properties such as interference and delay. Despite the surge in research that applies matching theory for wireless, most existing works are restricted to very limited aspects of resource allocation. This is mainly due to the sparsity of tutorials that tackle matching theory from an engineering ...