Resource allocation game for wireless networks with queue stability constraints

Abstract

We study the interaction among users of contention-based wireless networks, where the performance of the network is highly correlated with user transmission probabilities. Considering the underlying user incentives, we make use of the conceptual framework of noncooperative game theory to obtain a distributed control mechanism to resolve the contention among wireless nodes by taking into account queue stability. We present a comprehensive analysis of the game including existence and uniqueness of Nash equilibrium point and convergence dynamics. Utilizing linear pricing enables us to move the equilibrium point of the game to a desirable region. We obtain bounds and conditions on the pricing factors to achieve stability of user queues in the symmetric and asymmetric cases.