Fast, Scalable, Contention-Based Algorithms for Multi-Node Selection in OFDMA and Cooperative Wireless Systems

Opportunistic selection algorithms have grown in importance as next generation wireless systems strive towards higher data rates and spectral efficiencies. For example, in orthogonal frequency division multiple access(OFDMA), the system bandwidth is divided into many sub channels. For each sub channel, the user with the highest channel gain is opportunistically assigned to it. .Likewise, in a multi-source, multi-destination (MSD) cooperative relay system, a relay node must be assigned for every source-destination (SD) pair. The assignment decisions are based on local channel knowledge and must be fast so as to maximize the time available for data transmission. We develop novel multiple access based splitting-based selection algorithms for OFDMA and MSD systems. These systems are unique in that the same user and relay can be the most suitable one for multiple sub channels and multiple SD pairs, respectively. For OFDMA systems, we propose an algorithm called Split Select that assigns for every sub channel the user with the highest channel gain over it. For MSD systems, we propose a contention-based en masse assignment (CBEA) algorithm that assigns to each SD pair a relay that is capable of aiding it. Both Split Select and CBEA are fast and scale well with the number of nodes. For example, Split Select requires just 2.2 slots, on average, to assign a sub channel to its best user even when there are an asymptotically large number of contending users. Likewise, CBEA often takes far less than one slot, on average, to assign a relay to each SD pair