Cooperative Interference Neutralization in Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

Interference neutralization (IN) is regarded as a promising interference management techniques for multi-hop wireless networks. Yet most existing results of IN are limited to two-hop networks such as the relay-aided cellular network. Little progress has been made so far in the exploration of IN in generic multi-hop (more than two hops) networks. This paper aims to bridge this gap by developing an optimization framework for IN in a generic multi-hop network with the objective of maximizing the end-to-end throughput of multiple coexisting communication sessions. We first derive a mathematical model for IN in a special one-hop network to characterize the capability of IN, and then generalize this model to a multi-hop network. Based on the IN model, we develop a cross-layer optimization framework for a multi-hop network with the objective of fully translating the benefits of IN to the end-to-end throughput of the multi-hop sessions. To evaluate the performance of IN in multi-hop networks, we compare its performance against the case where IN is not employed. Simulation results show that the use of IN can significantly (more than 50%) increase the session throughput and, more notably, the throughput gain of IN increases with the node density and traffic intensity in the network.